


Telluris Portulae

by Amalgam000



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Post-Moebius, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-10-16 20:43:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 45,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10579143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amalgam000/pseuds/Amalgam000
Summary: While in her R&D position at Area 51, Sam enlists Jack’s help in activating an Ancient device in the hopes of recovering a missing scientist from her team. Things get a little messier when Jack, Sam, and others around them become entangled in an unexpected and unofficial rescue mission.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> In “Avalon Part 1” (s09e01), I’ve always been intrigued by Sam’s comment to Mitchell about her “having her reasons" for wanting the Area 51 job. Aside from the fact that AT was on maternity leave for the first few months of season 9, I’ve always liked to believe that in terms of the characters’ storylines, this was another innuendo about Sam’s relationship with Jack, and not just about Cassandra having a hard time. So this story takes on how Sam and Jack might have come to an “understanding” in the months between seasons 8 and 9.
> 
> Set before the season 9 opener “Avalon." Note that in this timeline, Sam’s been at Area 51 for a little bit longer than just a week (something like 3 or 4 weeks) and Jack’s been at the Pentagon for a little bit longer than that (say a couple of months). 
> 
> Disclaimer: This is for entertainment only, SG-1 and its characters are the property of MGM studios. I’m just playing with those guys because I miss them so much. This story was posted to ff.net a while back, but I thought I'd post it here as well. It's completed so I'll post it quickly over the next few days. 
> 
> I'm happy to say it was nominated for the 2016 Sam and Jack multimedia awards!

“This is the last of them, sir.”

Jack looked up to find an open file folder floating in the air a few inches from his nose. Sitting straighter in his too-comfortable chair, he met the eyes of Lieutenant Cunningham, a bright and efficient young airman who had the strange ability to materialize in Jack’s office without making a sound.

Jack grabbed the file folder with a sigh. “It’s about time! I’ve been looking forward to this vacation for weeks.” He looked the file over quickly, skimming over the contents, and then applied his signature before returning it to his assistant’s hands.

Cunningham was biting his lips in a way that Jack recognized as him trying to hold his tongue.

“What?”

“Nothing, sir. It’s just, well, you’ve actually only _been_ here for a few weeks. Sir.”

Oh, the kid would get along with Daniel, Jack thought. “Your point?”

Cunningham smiled a little. “Enjoy your vacation, sir,” he said demurely. Smart kid.

“Thank you,” Jack replied as he stood and grabbed his duffel bag. He was all packed and ready to go, he didn’t even need to stop at the house. He could already picture the blue skies, and taste of the cold one he’d open once settled down by the pond. “You ever been to Minnesota, Cunningham?”

“No sir. But I used to visit my uncle in Wisconsin every summer when I was a kid. From what I hear it’s not all that different.”

“Hmm. Well, I’m going fishing, so I probably won’t be reachable for a few days.”

“Understood, sir,” Cunningham replied as he handed Jack his briefcase. Jack didn’t need to check its content, he was pretty sure everything was in order, and probably in order of priority too. Jack often wondered about the young officer ending up at the Pentagon as an aide-de-camp. Surely other divisions or programs could make use of someone with such skills? The SGC, for one.

“But if there’s anything urgent,” Jack continued, “or anything from Cheyenne Mountain that comes across your desk, you can call my-”

A bright light suddenly blinded him, and before Jack knew it, he felt the push and pull of an Asgard beam hit his body. He barely saw Cunningham’s shock before he blinked against the brightness.

When Jack opened his eyes again, he was definitely no longer in the middle of his Pentagon office, but standing awkwardly in the middle of an Asgard cargo hold.

 

oooOooo


	2. With a Little Help From My Friends

“Greetings, O’Neill.”

“You gotta be kidding me! I’m telling you, you need to work on your timing, buddy,” Jack complained as he swiveled around to face the owner of the voice. Jack couldn’t quite help from smiling though, which somewhat ruined his complaining tone.

Thor inclined his head, and blinked. “I am sorry to be once again removing you from your scheduled resting time, O’Neill.”

“Well, it’s not _resting_ so much as- It’s called a vacation.”

Thor inclined his head again. “Your assistance is once again required.”

“Oh.” Jack sighed, sobering, as he looked around. The view of Earth from orbit was as impressive as Jack remembered it. Despite feeling the need to remind Thor that he was no longer working at the SGC and that, really, there were others who were younger and more qualified for whatever the Asgard needed, Jack couldn’t help the familiar thrill that shot through his veins, the same feeling he’d had every single time he’d stepped through the Stargate.

“Um, okay. Are you guys doing alright?” Jack asked, genuinely concerned.

“It is not the Asgard that require your assistance, but humans of your world. Specifically, it is-”

“Hi sir,” a _very_ familiar voice chimed in from behind him and Jack turned around so fast it almost made him dizzy.

“Carter!”

She was standing a few feet away from him, hands clasped together in front of her, and smiling. Even though it had only been a couple of months since they had last seen each other in person (they had exchanged a few calls here and there since then), it felt like years, and seeing her again truly felt like - clichés aside - coming home after a long day: soothing and exciting at once.

Maybe that’s why he had felt he needed a vacation so badly, Jack reflected distractedly as they both walked to bridge the gap that separated them. Maybe what he mistook for the need to get away from DC was really him missing the SGC. Missing Carter. He had tried his best to stifle the feeling, but given the way his heart had skipped a beat just now, he’d pretty much failed. But hey, what else was new?

They both stopped short of each other, and Jack realized his smile was probably just as wide as hers.

“It’s really good to see you, sir,” she said, her expression earnest.

“Likewise.”

They stood – perhaps a little awkwardly – facing each other for a moment as Jack took her in: her deep, blue eyes, the curve of her lips as they smiled, the slight dimple in her cheek... And that subtle, familiar perfume that never failed to make his heart beat just a little faster because it was associated with _her_.

He forced himself to snap out of it after a few seconds, clearing his throat. “So, what’s going on? Not that I’m not happy to be here, but why the theatrics?” Jack asked as his last vision of Lieutenant Cunningham with his eyes as big as saucers popped into his head. Yeah, he’d have to figure a way to explain that one.

Carter nodded and turned to start walking, inviting him to follow her. “Sorry sir, I heard you were on your way to the cabin, but I was ordered discretion on this matter.”

“I’m sorry to burst your bubble there, Carter, but beaming me out of the Pentagon isn’t exactly what I would call discrete, my assistant-”

“Lieutenant Cunningham has also been safely transported aboard this vessel, O’Neill,” Thor said from beside him, making him realize Carter’s presence had completely erased Thor’s from Jack’s conscious mind.

“Oh. Where is he?”

“Sleeping pod for now,” Carter replied as they walked the familiar corridors of the Asgard ship, “until we decide what to do with him. Does he have clearance?”

“About this?” Jack replied with a sweeping move of his arm, “hell no. I could give it to him, though, if need be.”

Carter sent him an amused glance. “Anyway, I realize this is a little,” she hesitated, “unorthodox, but I didn’t know where else to turn. And Thor was already in orbit- as you know, we’ve been working on the new hyperdrive, and he was kind enough to answer my call.”

“Indeed, it was my honor to once more offer my assistance. More so as it allowed me to see you, O’Neill. It has been too long,” Thor said sagely.

“Riiiight.” Jack exchanged a look with Carter, who seemed a lot more amused than she probably should be. “I’ve missed you too, buddy.”

“Anyway,” Carter resumed her explanation, “we have a situation at Area 51. My team’s been working on the Ancient device SG-7 recovered last month from P58 X70 – just cataloging the symbols on the surface, but, before we could figure out what the device actually does, it – well, it sort of sucked in Dr. Hayes, and she just vanished through.”

Jack made a face. _Sucked in?_ “Okay…” he said slowly, waiting for her explanation of why _he_ was here instead of, say, someone like Daniel, who was more adept at the Ancient languages. It was great to see her and be out of his office, no doubt about that, but still, he wasn’t quite sure what she expected of him.

They kept walking, but apparently no more explanation was forthcoming, so Jack had to ask the obvious. They turned into a different corridor. “So why am I here?”

“Sorry sir, I know I’m taking you away from-” she hesitated, “I mean I know you had plans. If you’d rather go back, we can-”

“No,” Jack cut her off as he realized she had misread his tone, “that’s fine, I’m just not sure what is it exactly that you expect me to do.”

“Oh, well, I was hoping that since you have the Ancient gene, you might be able to activate the device. Especially since you had Ancient knowledge – you know…” she trailed off.

“Downloaded into my brain?”

She winced but nodded.

“Carter I don’t remember any of that stuff. You know that.”

“Yes sir, I realize that. I suppose I was hoping you might still possess some of the knowledge without being aware. But hopefully the gene will be enough.”

“So I activate the device. And then…what?”

“Well, hopefully that will allow Dr. Hayes to rematerialize.”

“That’s your plan?” Jack asked incredulously. There were _so_ many ways this could go wrong.

“Well, I wouldn’t call it a _plan_ , exactly…”

“What if reactivating the thing kills your scientist? Worse, what if it sucks _me_ in?”

She tilted her head. “I’m pretty sure it’s not going to kill her.”

“Why not?”

She hesitated. “Let’s just say I have a theory.”

Jack was about to ask what _that_ was when he realized they had reached the sleeping pods and Thor was making his way to the control panels. Jack walked to the pod encasing the sleeping Lieutenant Cunningham. “Wait, what are we going to tell him?”

Two pairs of eyes turned to him. Thor blinked. “I mean to send him back, O’Neill.”

“Oh. Okay, hold on a sec.” Jack pulled a piece of paper and pen from his briefcase and quickly scribbled down. Once he was done, he turned to Thor and asked to open up the pod. Jack placed the note into one of Cunningham’s hand and his briefcase in the other.

Thor activated the beam, the light flashed with its distinctive accompanying sound, and Cunningham was gone.

“Thanks Thor,” Carter said.

Thor inclined his head. “I will remain in the vicinity as we resume our work on your vessels, should you require further help.”

Carter nodded. “We appreciate it.” She turned to Jack. “Ready, sir?”

“Sure. Thanks Tho-”

The light blinded him again, and then they were back on Earth.

oooooOooooo

At the same moment, Lieutenant Cunningham stood awkwardly in General O'Neill's office at the Pentagon for a few seconds – what the hell had just happened? Swiveling around, he saw no sign of the general, yet _something_ had happened, he had seen a bright light and-

That’s when he realized he was holding a piece of paper in one hand, and the general’s briefcase in the other.

The note read: “ _Take this note to Gen Hammond and tell him Thor and Carter zapped me up. I’m fine. He’ll explain. Oh and I won’t need the briefcase ~ Gen. Jack O’Neill_ ”

oooooOooooo

It was extremely convenient that Jack and Carter both beamed directly into Carter’s lab at Area 51, an almost identical replica of her lab at the SGC, with one big difference: it had actual windows. Jack had to blink a couple of times to get used to the bright sunlight shining through from the cloud-free, desert outdoors. After his eyes adjusted, he quickly recognized Carter’s organizational touch in the room: the devices in one corner, a desk in the other where her laptop was connected to other kinds of fancy-looking equipment, a pile of neatly organized folders on the other side of her desk, a couple of half empty coffee mugs and-

A picture of him?

It was sitting next to other photos: Doc Fraiser and Cass, a younger looking Jacob and a woman Jack assumed was Carter’s mom, another family picture with people Jack didn’t know – her brother’s family? SG-1, and… Jack himself.

“Welcome to Area 51, sir,” Carter said before he could process what that photo could possibly mean to her given the circumstances, and how it made him feel to find himself sitting on her desk. She quickly moved to the area and grabbed a tablet. “The device is over here,” she added, pointing to one of the corners Jack hadn’t inspected yet.

Jack did a double-take when he spotted the device in question. “Isn’t that-?”

“A mini-Stargate?” she finished for him. “Not quite, but the resemblance is quite striking.”

“I’ll say.” The device had a ring shape but was much smaller than the Stargates – maybe three feet wide, and apparently not made of Naquadah, but of a more yellowish tube-like metallic material. Carter’s team had propped it upright using a system of clamps and weights, which made it look all the more like an actual smaller Stargate. Jack approached to take a closer look. The symbols were similar to those of the Stargate, but Jack couldn’t recognize them either.

As Jack approached, the device started glowing from within, emitting a strange orange light where text and other patterns were engraved on the surface. “Whoa.”

Carter’s hand on his arm pulled him back, and the glow faded. “Let’s not turn it on right away. I want to take some precautions first,” she said before pulling her hand away from his arm. She walked to her phone and punched in a number. “This is Carter, I need Dr. Chan in my lab now. Yeah, thanks.” She hung up.

“Is it okay if I make a quick phone call too?” Jack asked as he fished his phone out of his pocket. It had occurred to him that he had to cancel his flight and rental car.

He thought he saw a brief look of dismay flash across her face, but it was gone so fast that he thought he might have imagined it. “Oh yes, of course. Sorry.”

So Jack briefly excused himself, but it wasn’t even five minutes before he walked back into the lab.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

“Yeah. Wanna fill me in on that theory now?” he asked as he joined Carter by her desk.

“Well,” she started in a tone of voice so familiar Jack couldn’t help but smile. He tried to hide it, though he needn’t bother, since Carter’s gaze was directed at the device. “I don’t think this device’s resemblance to Stargates is a coincidence, what with the number of symbols and the inner ring that seems to have the ability to spin. I think it might be an earlier version. A prototype, so to speak. It seems to be able to create an event horizon, however the power source is unknown and, as you can see, there is no DHD. This is probably because-”

Jack touched her arm and she stopped. “Sorry I asked.”

She grinned, but they were distracted when a young, very serious looking young man wearing a lab coat walked into the room. “Oh good, you’re here,” Carter said. “Dr. Eric Chan, this is General O’Neill, sir this is Dr. Chan.”

They shook hands. “I have heard a lot about you, General. It’s truly a pleasure to meet you at last,” Chan said.

“Oh, well, the reports probably don’t give the credit where it’s due,” Jack replied modestly, made uncomfortable with the praise. “It was a team effort.”

“Oh, no, it was actually Colonel Carter who spoke of-” Chan faltered when he spotted the warning look on Carter’s face.

Smiling, Jack turned to her. “Carter? You talk about me?” he asked teasingly.

She acknowledged his smirk with narrowing eyes, but then went back to business. “We should probably get to work. As nice as this all is, Donna is still missing, and I don’t want her to have to wait longer than necessary. Wherever she is.”

oooooOooooo

While Carter and Chan got started on a protocol for their experiment, Jack went to change out of his uniform, thanking whatever entity there was out there for making him carry his duffel bag into work today. Once clad in more comfortable clothes and shoes, he went in search of food and coffee for everyone.

As he wandered the not-so-familiar corridors of the Groom Lake facility, he flashed back to the couple of times he had been there in the past. He had never much liked this place, but that was probably because at the time the base had served as kind of a stronghold for shady NID operations. But being here now, and seeing Carter looking at ease in her new position, he tried to shake away his prejudices.

Did she like it here, he wondered? It was hard to tell, and Jack wasn’t sure she would tell him or let it show if she didn’t. In fact, in the few months since she had told him of her leaving, he had never really gotten over his surprise at her decision.

He still remembered that conversation with painful clarity. Jack had found her sitting in his office, one leg crossed over the other, her foot bouncing up and down in the air to a rhythm only she could hear, revealing her nervousness about the meeting. That had filled him with an equal measure of dread and anticipation.

_“Carter?”_

_She stood as he entered, and he moved to sit behind his desk. She sat again when he gestured her to do so. “Sorry to disturb you, sir, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you. If you have a few minutes?”_

_Jack nodded, the anticipation still warring with dread in his chest. “What’s up?”_

_“I, um – where do I start?” she asked no one in particular. But then her gaze met his and she paused, holding her breath, before diving in. “You see, I’ve had an offer.”_

_Jack frowned. “For what?”_

_“I mean a_ job _offer.”_

_Of all the scenarios that had flashed through his mind, that was not one of them. For a moment he couldn’t say or hear anything as he tried to wrap his brain around this. “Oh?”_

_“I’m not sure what to do.”_

_He sat further back into his chair and nodded, encouraging her to say more since he had no idea what to do with this information yet._

_“It’s a great opportunity, really – they want me to run the Stargate R &D program at Area 51. You weren’t aware that they were asking me?”_

_Jack shook his head, slowly. She was right, one would think that Hammond would have told him, given that Jack was still technically the head of the base._

_“Wow. That’s…” Apparently he had yet to regain the power of speech._

_“I know it’s a lot to take in. It’s a big decision, and… that’s why I’m here. I need a second opinion.” She looked down at her hands in her lap before raising her head up again. “What would you do?”_

_“What do Daniel and Teal’c think?” Jack asked, hoping to buy himself some time._

_“I haven’t told them yet.”_

_“Ah.” Jack exhaled. “Look, Carter, I’m not sure I’m the right person to ask. I mean it does sound like a great career move, if it’s what you want.”_

_She sighed and looked around his office, carefully avoiding his gaze, and it was obvious that this decision was weighing on her. “I don’t know. I-” she sighed again and shrugged, her voice wavering ever so slightly. “If you’d asked me that a few years ago, or even a few months ago, I would have said ‘no, my place is at the SGC, with SG-1’. But with Anubis gone, my Dad too, Teal’c spending most of his time on Dakara, Daniel hoping to get reassigned to Atlantis, and…and you moving to D.C., I don’t know. It feels like things are at a turning point, and I’m not sure where I belong in all of that. This could be a fresh start for me, you know?”_

_Was she saying this because of him, he wondered? Was she trying to get a fresh start away from him, in a place that wouldn’t remind her of him? Would she have considered this job if he hadn’t decided to leave? Not that Jack was so self-centered that he thought everything Carter did was because of him, but he could remember her surprise, and perhaps even hurt when he’d made the announcement of his departure from the SGC. Given that his new posting meant that he would no longer be her direct supervisor, for a while he had hoped that his decision would kindle some development in their relationship – especially after he’d learned that she’d broken things off with Pete. But Carter had buried herself in her work instead, spending a lot of time off-world working with Daniel and Teal’c on spreading the word about the new Jaffa nation and mediating the sometimes tense relationships between opposing factions._

_And now this._

_She was asking him for his blessing to move on. The pain he felt at the thought was staggering._

_But_ of course _he’d give his blessing. Didn’t she know he only wanted her to be happy? If moving on was what she wanted, of course he’d let her go. He had to._

_He nodded slowly, hoping the heaviness of his heart didn’t show in his expression. He swallowed hard. “Then maybe it’s the right thing to do,” he said at last._

_She nodded, again avoiding his gaze, but he thought he saw hurt cross her features again before she looked down._

_“When do you have to give an answer?” Jack asked, his tone softer than he would have liked._

_“Before the end of the week.” She swallowed, then forced a smile onto her face. “It’s a good opportunity, right?” she asked once more, seeking reassurance, and all Jack could do was give it to her._

_“It really is. You should take it.”_

And that was it.

It had felt like a strange, strangled goodbye, and for the next few days he’d tried not to let his grief show, especially when she was around. However it was only a couple of weeks or so before Jack officially transferred to the Pentagon, and a couple of weeks later she moved to Nevada.

oooooOooooo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's kind of a long setup to this story, but bear with me! There will be adventure and romance eventually! :-)


	3. Wherever You Will Go

Carter and Chan were both just standing there staring into space when Jack came back from his errand with his hands full with sandwiches and a tray of coffee cups. As he walked more fully into the room he realized they were in fact staring at a white board filled with math equations, brows furrowed in concentration.

Jack came to stand next to Chan, joining in their staring. How long would it take for them to realize he’d come back with caffeine if he just stood there? He’d tried that multiple times with Daniel in the past and it never failed to amuse him how long it sometimes took before the archaeologist realized there was someone else in the room. Though she had an amazing capacity for concentration, Carter on the other hand always seemed to know when he was there. It was probably the military training.

Not this time, though, apparently.

After what felt like minutes, he couldn’t take it anymore. “This one’s wrong,” Jack said eventually, pointing to the last line of writing, and was rewarded with a startled jump from Chan, though Carter merely turned and smiled at him.

_Of course_ she’d known he was there. He’d fallen for it again.

Carter stepped back to grab one of the sandwiches that Jack had left on the only empty space on her workbench. “He’s kidding, Chan,” she threw over her shoulder and Jack exchanged a grin with her at the way the young scientist had been trying to figure out where the calculations had gone wrong.

“We’ve been studying the telemetry at the time of Dr. Hayes’ disappearance,” Carter explained as she unwrapped her sandwich, “obviously there isn’t an external power source that we can see, yet Donna was still able to turn it on. It turns out she’s the only one here with the Ancient gene. There is a power surge in the data at the time of her disappearance, and I noticed that a similar, smaller one also spiked right around the time you walked close to the device earlier.”

“How did she turn it on?” Jack asked as he grabbed a sandwich and perched on a stool.

Carter and Chan exchanged a look. “We’re not sure. She was alone in the room when it happened. She was supposed to wait for us to get back, but…” Carter started.

“She has some authority issues,” Chan added, but Carter sent him such a ‘shut up’ look that the young man looked down sheepishly.

“So how do you know what happened, if neither of you were here?”

Carter pointed to a security camera in one corner. “The footage clearly shows her getting close to the device, but then the glowing gets so intense that it’s hard to see what happens. We can just about make out her silhouette get sucked in.”

Gesturing to the white board, she went on. “Using the telemetry from the computer, we’ve been theorizing how much power the device requires to sustain a wormhole based on what we know from the Stargate. The problem is that this is all just hypothetical at the moment, and is based on my assumption that the device does in fact create a wormhole. But assuming that I’m correct and that the gene is all you need to turn it on, I think we’re ready to send a probe through.”

“We’ll have to take precautions, in case one of us gets sucked in,” Chan added.

“Alright, will you two stop using that word?” Jack complained.

Carter’s lips twitched up, but considered Chan’s statement as she chewed distractedly. “We’ll each have to carry a field backpack with enough water and rations for a few days. We’ll include Naquadah generators,” she added for Chan’s benefit, but at Jack’s confused frown, she turned to him. “I’ve been working on making smaller portable ones for field purposes.”

“Ah.” Damn she was smart. “Why does it do that? Pull people in, I mean,” Jack asked.

“My guess is that it has to do with the unstable gravity pull – kind of like what happened with the black hole incident a few years back.”

“Oysh, that takes me back.”

“Black hole incident?” Chan repeated, eyes widening. “There’s got to be a good story there.”

Jack grinned. “You mean that’s not one of those stories Carter’s told you about me?”

“Sir,” Carter chided him with a chuckle.

“It _is_ a good story though. Although it came at a high price,” Jack replied, thinking back to Boyd, his team and Cromwell. He saw Carter nod in acknowledgement.

“What happened?” Chan pressed curiously, looking between him and Carter.

“It’s a story for another time,” Carter replied as she tossed her wrapper into the trash and stood, grabbing one of the coffee cups and sipping from it.

Chan stood as well. “Right. I’ll go get our packs ready.”

“I’ll go get the probe,” Carter said. “We’ll be right back, sir.” She halted after a couple of steps, as if she’d just thought of something. “Please, don’t… touch anything. Sir.”

Jack raised his hands in defense.

While they were away he busied himself with going through his duffel bag and selecting items he’d include with his backpack: Swiss army knife, a change of socks (dry feet were one of those small things that could make the big difference between utter grumpiness and relative happiness), an extra t-shirt, his good ole’ olive green cap, sunglasses. He hesitated with the bug spray and sunscreen, but hey, why not? As he pulled out the items, he could just about make out Carter and Chan’s conversation as their voices floated from the corridor.

“I’m amazed at what you’re willing to risk,” Chan was saying. “Especially after everything she put you through the last few months.”

“Watch it, Eric,” came Carter’s reprimanding voice. “Whatever my relationship with Dr. Hayes, it has no relevance for what we’re trying to achieve here. We just don’t leave people behind. It’s that simple.”

“Of course. Sorry.”

A few seconds later and they were stepping back into the lab, each carrying the result of their respective errands. Carter still looked a little rattled by the conversation Jack had overheard and he followed her with his eyes as she set down a small device with wheels and a bunch of antennas sticking out from the top. What did Chan mean, “after everything she’s put you through”? Did Carter have trouble with this Donna Hayes person? Why hadn’t she said anything the few times they’d exchanged phone calls? Granted they had mostly talked about Cass, Daniel, Teal’c and small, insignificant stuff, but still… Not that he didn’t have every confidence that she would be able to deal with any personnel issues, but it saddened him to realize that she wouldn’t confide in him about these things.

“Here’s your pack and vest, General,” Chan said as he handed him the familiar SGC-issue black vest and backpack.

“Thanks.” He filled it with the stuff he’d pulled from his duffel bag and geared up.

Carter and Chan did the same, then Carter grabbed the probe and the remote control. “I’m afraid we don’t have any MALPs small enough to fly through, so we’ll have to get close enough to drop this one in,” she said.

_Of course._ Sighing, Jack extended his hand, and after a look through which they had a silent and brief conversation (“I’ll do it” “But sir!” “I’ll have to get close anyway” “Right, be careful”), she handed him the probe.

“Alright, Chan, you stay back,” Carter ordered. “General? Whenever you’re ready, but don’t get too close, just close enough to turn it on, and drop in the probe if possible.”

“Understood,” Jack replied, licking his lips. “Alright, here goes nothing,” he muttered as he turned to face the device.

Taking a breath, he took one step, then another, and kept moving cautiously until he reached the same distance he had gotten earlier when the device had started to glow. As if on cue, the device started emitting the strange orange glow and a vibrating, humming sound, and Jack sensed more than heard Carter shift restlessly on her feet behind him. Jack took another step, ready to bolt at any time, but the device only hummed louder.

“Carter?” he asked, not sure whether he should keep going or not.

“I don’t know, sir,” she replied, her voice sounding strained over the increasingly loud humming coming from the device.

“Maybe you need to touch it,” Chan suggested and Jack threw him a startled glance over his shoulder. Carter stared at the scientist too, before she returned her attention to Jack.

“Don’t touch it yet, but keep going. Think back to the Ancient ship you flew a while back,” she suggested.

“The Puddle Splasher?”

“Jumper,” she corrected, “but yes. Maybe it’ll help.”

Jack nodded and returned his attention to the task at hand, trying to focus his mind like he’d done the few times he’d had to control Ancient technology. It didn’t come as naturally to him as it did people like John Sheppard, but even so he was usually able to make it work in the end.

He took another step and the glowing spiked so bright that Jack had to raise his hand to cover his eyes from the blinding rays. The humming was really loud now; it felt like it was coming from the inside of his head and Jack had to fight the urge to cover his ears. He took another step into the light and then he felt something in the air shift, something unidentifiable, as if time stood still for one, long, second. It made his hair stand on end. Jack glanced into the light and saw that the inner ring had started spinning, though much, much faster than the Stargate’s, so fast in fact that it quickly became a dizzying blur, and the humming turned into a buzz so powerful Jack could feel it in his chest – rather it felt like it was coming _from_ his chest.

He held up the probe, hoping to see it get pulled in, but nothing like that happened, so Jack got a little closer still, extending his arm longer, and then he felt it – the pull, as if his body was just a big piece of metal attracted to a magnet. Yet, even though the brightness emanating from the ring still made it difficult to see, Jack could discern no visible puddle within the device telling him that a wormhole had been established.

He thought he heard Carter’s voice, but the humming and buzzing were so loud now that it muffled all else. He wanted to look back at her, but for some reason he couldn’t.

Jack held up the probe again, but even though the gravity pull was intensifying, it still wasn’t enough to make it float towards it. So Jack took another small step, anchored his feet into the floor, and extended his arm further, hoping to just toss the probe through. At that moment he thought he saw a kind of shimmering in the middle of the ring, and he realized that the wormhole was in fact established. Now all he had to do was-

Someone suddenly took a hold of his backpack and yanked him backwards.

The surprise made him drop the probe, but luckily the pull was enough that it was sent through just as Jack was pulled backward far enough to be out of the gravitational pull. Before he could look back to Carter and Chan – who the hell had pulled him back, and why? - the glowing and humming stopped just as abruptly as it had started, and the device completely shut down.

Annoyed, Jack spun around and found Chan behind him, his hands extended in his direction, and Carter’s hand on Chan’s arm, as if she’d tried to stop _him_ from stopping Jack. “Why the hell did you do that?” Jack asked the younger man.

“Colonel Carter was shouting for you not to get any closer but you didn’t seem to hear her,” Chan explained. “I just thought-”

Carter put a hand on his shoulder, halting his explanation. “It’s okay, Chan. At least the probe made it through. We’ll see if it recorded anything before the device shut down.”

Jack followed her to her desk, not without sending another annoyed look in Chan’s direction as he passed him.

It’s only then that Jack realized he felt completely drained, as if maintaining the device open had cost him all of his energy. He sat on a stool and, placing his elbows on his thighs, rested his head between his hands. Carter was on him in a second, prying his hands away from his face. “Sir! Are you okay?”

Jack let her fuss for only a second. “I’m fine, Carter. Just a little tired. Do your thing,” he said, vaguely gesturing to her computer before returning to his position with his head between his hands.

“Why did it turn itself off when I pulled him away?” Chan asked, though it sounded more like a rhetorical question. Jack closed his eyes, tuning out Carter’s techno-babbly reply, but still finding the sound of her voice strangely soothing.

“But how can one person be able to establish a wormhole?” Chan’s voice made its way back into Jack’s consciousness.

“We’ve seen it before,” Carter’s voice replied. “I remember the Nox were able to open a wormhole without a DHD, so maybe this device is built so that only Ancients – or in this case people with the Ancient gene – are able to turn it on, and…”

Jack lay his head down against his crossed arms on the workbench, and tuned out the rest of the conversation.

He only became aware of his surroundings again when he realized everything was quiet, except for the ‘tap-tap-tap’ sound of someone’s fingers hitting a keyboard.

Seconds later he felt a hand on his forearm. “Here sir,” Carter’s voice was close to his ear, so he opened his eyes to find her right at his side, brow burrowed in concern and a glass of water in her hand.

“Thanks.” Jack took it, moaning at the stiffness in his limbs, back and neck. “Did you get anything from the probe?”

Carter looked relieved to hear him speak. She pulled a stool next to his and perched on it. “Nothing on Hayes, and not much in terms of environment, but it did confirm my theory that the device creates a wormhole in a way similar to the Stargate. The probe landed on solid ground and the data it collected suggests an atmosphere that would support life as we know it. How are you feeling?”

Now that she asked, he did feel a little better, so he sat straighter and looked around. “Where’s Chan?”

“He went to get some sleep about an hour ago. I think you fell asleep yourself, or passed out, sir.”

“I did? It feels like it’s only been a few minutes.”

She checked her watch. “It’s been almost three hours. I didn’t want to wake you – it looked like you needed to rest after maintaining the device open.”

That explained the stiffness. Jack stood and stretched, feeling a crack or two along his spine. “So what’s our next move?” he asked as he rubbed his neck.

“We’ll try again, when you feel up to it. Do you think you’d be able to hold it open long enough for me to get more data from the probe?”

“Sure, if no one yanks me back, this time.”

“Good. With any luck we’ll have you back at the cabin in no time,” she added with forced cheerfulness.

“Great,” he replied distractedly, as he realized that whatever energy he had spent turning that device on, it had used up all of his fuel too. He was starving again. “I’m gonna need more food, though.”

She gave a small smile. “I’ll get on it, sir, you stay here,” she replied. She blew out a sigh and rubbed her face with her hands as she stepped away.

“Carter, how long’s it been since _you_ slept?”

“Oh, um,” she sighed, frowning, “I don’t know.”

“Carter,” Jack warned, but she shrugged it off.

“I’m fine. I’ll go get some food and wake up Chan.”

Once Jack had refueled on whatever Carter could find in the commissary with the kitchen closed for the night, and Chan and Carter had refueled on caffeine, they were ready to try again. Jack still felt a little drained from the last attempt, but he wouldn’t know his limits unless he tried again.

They worked mostly in silence this time as they grabbed their backpacks again, took their positions, and started the whole thing again. This time Jack felt more confident, so he approached the device at a quicker pace, while still keeping his guard up.

When the glow blinded him this time, he closed his eyes and tried to focus and find that indescribable, peaceful frame of mind that seemed to work best when operating Ancient devices. Working on instinct, he stepped closer. He could now hear the humming and buzzing reverberate through his own body, so he stepped even closer, anticipating the deafening sound and brightness that he could perceive behind his closed eyelids. Once again he felt the change in the air when the wormhole established and he could now hear the inner ring as it started spinning and gained momentum.

He stepped a little closer, and felt the now almost familiar pull coming from the device, so Jack planted his feet into the tiled floor and stood his ground, trying not to lose his focus while Carter collected whatever data she needed.

However, the longer he stood there, the stronger the pull, and he could already feel his energy draining, as if it funneled through the event horizon. He started to wonder just how long he would be able to keep this up; his legs were already starting to burn with the physical strain. “Carter?!” he shouted, but he couldn’t tell if he’d actually made a sound or not – all he could hear was the buzzing hum of the device. “Carter!” he tried again.

The pull was getting difficult to resist now, and he felt his feet start to slide. Legs on fire, his knees buckled unexpectedly from under him at a sudden surge in the gravity field and he fell to his knees.

And that’s when it happened: without anything to grip on, he couldn’t resist the pull anymore and felt himself fall, fall, fall forward. Then a hand grabbed his backpack and resisted the pull for a moment, but then it all gave out, and the falling forward continued until his body experienced the roller coaster feeling of the wormhole.

And then he hit the ground.

ooooOoooo


	4. Space Oddity

Tyler “Ty” Cunningham lay wide awake, staring blankly at the shadows playing against the ceiling of his bedroom as he tried to process everything he’d learned in the space of a few hours’ discussion with General Hammond. The expression on Hammond’s face when Ty had showed him the note had been a mix of surprise and annoyance. But in the end he’d chuckled, shaking his head, then sighed in resignation and recommended that Ty “better sit down for this.”

His head still swarmed with the revelations.

The Stargate Program.

Travel to other planets.

The government sending people off to said planets for years and no one knew about it.

All this time Ty had been working for a recently created branch of government called “Homeworld security,” which Hammond headed, and he hadn’t known about it.

Earth had been involved in a galactic war until very recently.

And the last one was actually the hardest to come to grips with: his boss, Major General Jack O’Neill was one of the heroes of that war. He had been leader of a flagship team called SG-1; exploring and fighting an evil group of aliens that Ty couldn’t remember the name of.

Not that Ty didn’t think O’Neill had it in him - he’d come to admire the man over the few weeks since O’Neill had arrived at the Pentagon – but he was so… _different_ , from Ty’s ideas of a heroic soldier. Funny. Cynical. Cavalier, even. Ty could conceive that this was just a façade – that for some reason that was the persona that General O’Neill liked to project. But even so, it was hard to imagine him at the head of an elite team of explorers. Explorers of other _planets._

He could still remember the last few moments that had put an end to Hammond’s disclosure. “This,” Hammond had said, grabbing the note, “is a sign that Jack O’Neill trusts you, son. He wouldn’t have sent just anyone to me with this.”

“I’m sorry sir, but I don’t know what that means,” Ty had replied with more hostility than he’d meant to show. He couldn’t deny that shock, and even anger, had characterized his first reaction to learning the truth about the Stargate program. Didn’t people have a right to know about this? How dared his country – the country he so proudly served – play God in other freaking galaxies? They had to get over that Manifest Destiny crap. But he tried to contain those feelings and keep an open mind as much as he possibly could. It wasn’t easy.

Hammond had sighed. “That, Lieutenant, means that General O’Neill has given you a clearance level that very few people in this building actually have, with perhaps the exception of the Joint Chiefs and their personal attachés. Be sure to make yourself worthy of that trust.”

That last sentence kept replaying in his head. As angry as he’d been then, he could now recognize the benefits of a need-to-know basis for the Stargate program, but then why had O’Neill given him that clearance? He’d only worked for him for a few weeks.

Whatever the reason though, he promised himself that he would try to be that trustworthy person, if only for O’Neill’s sake. But that meant that he needed to familiarize himself with what O’Neill’s job actually was. No one had told him aside from meaningless stuff like “he’s a consultant for a high-profile program” or “his experience in certain areas is highly valued by the President and Joint Chief” and, “Hammond’s on his way to retirement, and O’Neill is the likely replacement candidate” and so on. But now Ty realized that no one had ever told him what O’Neill’s role at the Pentagon actually was. And, knowing to mind his own business, Ty had never tried to read the blacked-out “top secrets” reports that landed on his desk before he forwarded them to O’Neill.

Giving up on sleep, Ty got dressed and an hour later he was back in Pentagon City. As he made his way towards his desk, he saw that a light was still on in Hammond’s office. That seemed unusual, so he decided to stop by and see what was going on. Maybe he could get Hammond to release some of the Stargate mission files for him to look at.

Hammond was on the phone, but he waved Ty in when he saw him, showing no surprise about finding him there in the middle of the night – on a Friday night, no less.

“Of course, I’ll get some people on it,” Hammond was saying into the phone with an urgency that made Ty listen more attentively, “and get in touch with the SGC. Maybe there’s something they can do on their end. Very good. Thank you Colonel.” He hung up and looked at Ty. Only then did his expression register his surprise.

“Lieutenant Cunningham. Anything I can help you with?”

“Well sir, it sounds like maybe there’s something I can do for _you_?” he offered instead, recognizing that Hammond would not be here unless something important had happened.

Hammond gazed at him for a moment, weighing his options, then nodded his head in a decisive manner. “Maybe you can. In fact, it concerns Jack O’Neill and what you witnessed earlier today. Something’s happened.”

ooooOoooo

“Crap.”

Jack hurt everywhere – like he’d pulled every damn muscle in his body. So he just lay there on his back for a moment, barely breathing, until the feeling of getting air punched out of him subsided a little and he could breathe easier.

He heard moaning coming from not too far to his right. Carter! Apparently she’d been drawn in with him when she’d tried to pull him back. Now why did she have to do that?

Not having the energy to look in her direction yet, he reached out and felt around until he made contact with her and realized he’d found her hand. “Carter, you okay?” Jack croaked.

“Yeah, I’m – oh God-”

She scampered off, making hurried, scuttling noises. Jack winced when the sound of her vomiting reached him. Now that he thought about it, he felt a little queasy himself, but fought it, instead focusing on taking some deep breaths and testing out his limbs one by one. It didn’t seem like he was badly hurt, just sore from whatever had happened as they had been propelled through the device.

“Oh God,” Carter moaned again after a moment.

Feeling slightly better now, Jack opened his eyes at last. He was lying on rugged ground, and though it was light enough to see, it looked more like dawn or dusk. Stars filled the sky and a part of his brain looked on in awe, while another took notice that it felt a little cold, but that could just be from going through the wormhole. Jack remembered they’d used to feel the cold in the early days of gate travel. Turning his head, he soon spotted Carter lying on her back a couple of feet from him, breathing heavily. “Carter?”

“Yes sir. I’m fine now.”

As if on agreement that they needed to move, they both sat up gingerly, then took a look around. The rugged landscape surrounding them reminded Jack of some areas of the American Southwest, with reddish yellow, rocky grounds sprinkled with sparse, bushy vegetation, and even some cacti-like plants here and there. Hell, if Jack didn’t know any better he’d say they might as well just be back in Nevada, but the unfamiliar stars and that big Saturn-like giant in the night sky kinda refuted that hypothesis. The mini-Stargate was propped in a pit – that the wormhole probably created – into the ground a few feet away from them – but as Carter had anticipated, there wasn’t anything looking like a DHD.

“Any sign of Dr. Hayes?” Jack asked.

They both looked around again, and he saw Carter pick up the probe Jack had dropped through, then put it back down as she shook her head. “Where did she go?” she asked no one in particular.

As Jack glanced around she stood to her feet and started inspecting the ground.

“There!” she announced. “Tracks, it looks like she walked in that direction,” she added as she gestured towards a rising slope. “She must have gone looking for food and water.”

Jack was about to imitate her and stand when the feeling of exhaustion crept up over him again, and he shifted to lean against a nearby boulder instead.

“Carter,” he sighed, trying to fight the increasingly strong urge to close his eyes and give in to sleep. “I’m gonna need to rest for a bit.”

She looked alarmed and quickly came to his side and touched his forehead with a cool hand. Jack shivered at the touch, but it wasn’t because he was feverish.

“I’m fine, Carter, it’s just that damn thing, it takes a lot out of me. I’ll be fine.”

“Yes sir,” she replied with conviction, ever the dutiful soldier, as she looked around in indecision. “Okay, I’ll set up the perimeter, see if it’s safe to make a fire,” she decided as she stood again. “Hopefully Donna will see it and come back.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

She busied herself with rummaging through her pack.

“Carter? Why didn’t she try to turn it on from this side?” Jack asked, his head starting to feel heavy and his thoughts groggy.

Carter’s curse was the last thing Jack heard before he passed out.

ooooOoooo

When Jack woke up it was night. The stars shone amazingly bright in the sky above and the big giant had lowered somewhat over the horizon. Though there was a chill in the night air, Jack was kept comfortably warm by the fire Carter had built next to him while he slept.

Carter was nowhere in sight, but trusting that she wouldn’t have left him alone if she hadn’t deemed it safe to do so, Jack stood up and stretched, feeling – for the most part – rested. He was still sore and stiff from the (mini) gate travel but he was no longer feeling queasy. In fact, he was starving again. Looking at his watch, he realized he’d been asleep for a couple hours or so.

He went to relieve himself, then, rummaging through his vest and pack, he pulled out a radio and a protein bar and, sitting on a big stone near the fire, turned on the radio. “Carter? You there?”

There was a bit of static and then: “Yes sir, it’s good to hear you’re awake.”

“Where are you?”

“Right behind you, sir,” she replied, and Jack realized the voice had not come from the radio, but from the real thing. He looked over his shoulder and saw her making her way back, flashlight in her hand and her silhouette softly illuminated by the flames of the fire. For a moment there he could almost pretend that they were with the rest of SG-1 on a mission to some unknown planet. That’s when he noticed she was limping, avoiding putting weight on her left leg. How had he not noticed this before?

“What happened to your leg?” Jack asked, frowning, before he shifted further down the rock to make room for her to sit.

“I landed badly when I came out of the wormhole. I’ll be fine. How are _you_ feeling?” she asked as she took the offered spot and sat gingerly, extending her leg in front of her and massaging the muscles around her knee.

“Better,” Jack replied.

She nodded. “Once I secured the perimeter, I decided to go check out where Donna’s footprints led. She went up that rise there, but I didn’t want to risk going further until we were both able to go.”

“You sure she was by herself?”

“You mean that she wasn’t taken against her will? I only saw one set of footprints and they seem to match someone of her stature. I didn’t see any other sign of human life or habitation either, but there might be clues that are harder to see in the dark.”

They stayed silent for a bit as Jack considered her words, munching on his protein bar.

“Sir,” Carter started again, filling up the silence. “I’ve been thinking about what you said – about why Donna didn’t try to turn on the device from this side. My first thought was that, based on how much energy activating the device seems to require from you, she would have needed to rest in order to gather enough strength to turn it on again. She would have recovered by now, of course, but if that’s what happened, chances are she would have taken shelter somewhere around here. We’ll have to search for her when we have more daylight. The second hypothesis is that she _did_ try to turn it on, but it didn’t work for some reason.”

Jack gazed at her, recognizing the growing fear in her tone as she voiced her train of thought, and tried to hide his own uneasiness at her implications: that they would be stranded here with no way of going back home. “We can’t know that until we try.”

She nodded. “I know.”

“I guess there’s no time like the present,” Jack announced as he stood. Carter looked startled.

“Sir, are you sure you’re up to it?”

“Sure,” Jack replied dismissively. At this point did it really matter? If it worked, then they could search for Hayes with their minds more at peace, and he could always rest again before they set out to look for her. If it didn’t work, then they’d have to find another way, and whether or not he had recovered wouldn’t matter. He felt like a video game character – with five little bars of energy that could be replenished with time or some kind of magic potion. Apparently sleep and food were _his_ energy refills.

Strapping his pack back on, Jack approached the device carefully but decidedly, aware that Carter wasn’t too far behind him. He turned to her. “Ready? Pull me back if I start to get pulled in,” he instructed. After all they just wanted to make sure Jack could turn it on again.

She nodded, so Jack turned his attention back to the device. The metallic surface glistened when the beam from Jack’s flashlight illuminated it. He approached it at a much quicker pace than he had in the lab, but once he reached the required distance – nothing happened.

Even when Jack walked right up to it, and extended his hand toward it – nothing. It just sat there, dark and glistening in the night. Jack tried to focus his mind like he had before, but still nothing. He extended his hand and slowly touched the surface – it was cold and smooth, but that didn’t do squat either.

“Damn it,” Carter cursed. “I don’t get it, sir.”

Jack let out a sigh as he turned back and started making his way back to the fire, passing by her as he did so. “We just need to find another way, that’s all.”

“Yes sir.” Her tone was dejected, but he could still hear a small spark of determination, if only in the way she forced herself to put some resolve into her words.

“You should get some sleep yourself, if we’re going to figure this out and set out to find your missing scientist when day breaks,” Jack said, using his good old CO tone as he sat back onto his rock.

She joined him – still limping – by the fire, her expression disheartened and weary, but her jaw set tightly. She opened her mouth to object, but then closed it again with a sigh. “You’re probably right.”

“I’ll take first watch,” Jack announced as she settled herself down by the fire, making a pillow with her backpack and lying down on her side facing the fire, away from him.

“Just like old times, huh?” Jack added, trying to lighten the mood. They would find a way out of this. They always did. There was no point in thinking otherwise.

He saw her shoulders raise and fall in a sigh. “Yeah, just like old times.” There was a pause. “I’m gonna get you back home, sir. I promise.”

Jack thought back to all the times she had saved his ass, and he had no doubt whatsoever that if anyone could, it was her.

“I know.”

ooooOoooo


	5. Where the Road Meets the Sun

Ty’s assignment was to get in touch with a Dr. Eric Chan from the Groom Lake facility in Nevada, and get a full statement of what had happened to General O’Neill. Then he was to serve as a kind of liaison between Chan and a certain Dr. Daniel Jackson working at the Stargate Command Facility in Colorado in order to determine what could be done to retrieve the general and his colleague.

According to Hammond, this would allow Ty to “be brought up to speed with regards to the Stargate while gaining some actual experience.” Ty still wasn’t sure whether that comment had been meant to encourage him or insult his lack of experience. Either way, it wasn’t in his nature to challenge a direct order on the basis of wounded pride, especially not one coming from such a decent man as General Hammond, so he’d bitten his tongue and readily accepted the assignment.

Ty had watched enough sci-fi to recognize the name “Groom Lake,” and when he gave an incredulous glance to Hammond, the general nodded and said, “Yes, Area 51. That was General O’Neill’s destination. He was going to help a colleague activate an alien device currently held at that facility for research.”

“And that’s when both he and-” Ty looked down at the file between his fingers, “Colonel Carter, got sucked into the device and disappeared?” He asked, not quite believing that these words were coming out of his mouth.

“It appears so.” The calmness in the general’s expression and tone of voice told Ty that this kind of stuff wasn’t as extraordinary to Hammond as it sounded to himself. Had this happened before? “They themselves were trying to retrieve a missing member of Colonel Carter’s team who disappeared in a similar fashion.”

Ty gave a determined nod. “I’ll get right on it, sir.”

With his assignment clear inside his mind and a file folder in his hand that contained contact information for key people and Hammond’s short statement about what happened, Ty decidedly made his way back to O’Neill’s office, determined to be of any help he could.

Reaching his desk, he turned on the lamp, sat down, and got on the phone.

And at that moment, the work that he had been relatively _content_ carrying out –not the best job the Air Force could offer, but it paid the bills and gave him a sense of duty – became something to actually be excited about.

ooooOoooo

 

While Carter caught up on some sleep, Jack kept busy, using his training to stay alert and keep his thoughts from wandering to the woman sleeping a couple of feet away from him. He had a lot of experience in that regard. Yet, even _that_ didn’t stop the nagging feeling he had at the way she was acting around him – not cold, but distant. Cautious.

But instead of trying to figure it out (their history showed that he would probably fail, anyway), he focused on the tasks at hand and inventoried the contents of his bag to see what Chan had packed in terms of provisions and water. They had enough for a few days, assuming that Carter got the same thing. There was also a first aid kit, flashlight, rope, duct tape, binoculars, a device Jack assumed to be the portable generator Carter had mentioned but… no weapon? Going through the inner pockets, Jack finally found a 9 mm and thigh holster and clicked it on. He also found a Zat, which made Chan go up in Jack’s opinion. Not that he’d disliked him or doubted his competence when it came to technology, but he just hadn’t looked very… off-worldly.

Feeling the need to move in order to keep from getting too sleepy himself – after all it was still the middle of the night back in D.C. too – Jack patrolled the perimeter, familiarizing himself with the area and lay of the land. Starting from Carter’s indications of Hayes’ footprints, Jack followed them to the rise as well and stood at the top for a while, looking down the bluff into a kind of floodplain, or maybe a canyon. It was too dark to tell how deep it went, or if there was a river at the bottom, though if there was, that’s probably what Hayes had gone looking for. This is where they would start their search come morning, he decided.

He circled around the perimeter, and came to the conclusion they were probably on a rather arid-looking plateau overlooking the floodplain, with pretty flat terrain all around except the direction Hayes had taken. This meant that they were completely in the open.

Suddenly feeling uneasy with the vulnerability of their position, Jack returned to the fire and sat on the ground by Carter’s feet. So far they hadn’t seen anything that could be a threat to them, but that didn’t mean _something_ wasn’t out to get them. They would have to move as soon as day broke, if only to find a more secure campsite. They would have to look for Dr. Hayes first, though. Jack glanced at Carter’s face as he thought about the conversation he’d overheard before.

That’s when he realized she wasn’t sleeping and was staring into the fire.

“Did you sleep at all?” Jack asked when she met his gaze briefly.

She sat up. “Not really. I keep thinking about the device. There has to be a way to make it work from this side. Maybe its power source is just depleted, whatever it is.”

Jack nodded but said nothing.

“I’d like to try hooking it up to the generators we brought once I can see what I’m doing – see if it can use external power to activate it.”

“Okay.”

They sat in silence for a while, and as much as Jack wanted it to be companionable, it was heavy with tension and he wasn’t sure what to do to alleviate it. He decided to go with the direct approach.

“What’s on your mind, Carter?” he asked, inescapably falling back into CO mode.

She seemed startled that he would ask directly and shook her head, playing with a small twig with her fingers. “I’m just- I guess I’ve just been meaning to say that…I’m sorry, for getting you into this situation.”

“Hey, it’s not like you twisted my arm or anything. I was happy to help. It’s not your fault.”

“Even so, I’m sorry. For a moment there, I-” she stopped herself, and Jack turned to look at her. Her gaze was directed downward and she was shaking her head.

“You what?”

She turned to look at him with a small, sad smile. “I think part of me just wanted to work with you again, you know?”

Jack had not expected that to be the direction this conversation would take, but he also felt the weight of her words: _work_ with him. Not just spend time with him, or see him, but work. “Oh. Well, if it makes you feel any better, so was I.”

“Still, you’re probably wishing you were,” she hesitated, “ you know, at the cabin right now, instead of stranded here.”

Throwing her a sidelong glance, Jack wasn’t so sure. If it meant spending time with her like this, he’d take (temporarily) stranded with her over the lonely fishing anytime. Now, in an ideal world, he would have _both_ the fishing and Carter by his side _._

“It did feel like old times for a while, though, didn’t it?” She continued.

Jack smiled a little wryly. “It still does: us stranded on another planet… That sounds eerily familiar, Carter.”

Her smile widened a little, losing its sad edge. “I guess you’re right. We _have_ been in a similar situation before, haven’t we?”

“Yes, and we always made it. We will this time too.”

She nodded, until her head snapped up suddenly, turning to her right, and she stiffened, senses in high alert. “Did you hear that?”

Jack grabbed his 9 mm and looked around, dread knotting his stomach as he listened. “No. What was it?”

“I’m not sure,” she whispered, still alert. Jack silently handed her the Zat he had gotten out of his pack earlier.

They strained their ears for a few minutes, but Jack didn’t hear anything. In the end Carter didn’t hear whatever it was again either. They relaxed a little after what felt like an eternity, but kept silent from then on, each clutching to their weapon, and eyes constantly scanning the horizon. Jack dearly missed the familiar weight of his P-90 between his hands.

It was with great relief that they saw daylight start to brighten the sky, first with purple-ish tints, then with colors turning into reds, and finally, a sun – bigger than Earth’s, appeared over the horizon. It was with some surprise that Jack took in the high and rugged mountain peaks that carved the horizon in the direction he’d assumed was just flat. The dark silhouettes – some with snowy peaks – were both awe-inspiring and foreboding, even for someone who used to live in the Rockies.

They quickly grabbed a snack before they moved about to extinguish their fire. Jack yearned for some coffee, but they decided not to waste any of their water for anything other than drink. At least until they found another source of fresh water. Jack told her about his river-at-the-bottom hypothesis and Carter agreed they should start their search for Hayes there. But first she still wanted to try the generators.

Jack watched with some concern as she used a bandage from the first aid kit to wrap her knee and popped in a couple of aspirins. He couldn’t help but worry about her, especially since they had no idea how far and how long they’d have to walk, potentially even climb down, in their search of Hayes and a safer camp site. But he had to trust that she would tell him if she needed rest, and that her injury wasn’t serious.

While she worked on hooking up the generators to the device, Jack went to investigate in the direction of the sound Carter had heard a few hours before. Even though she’d never been the jumpy type, he was hoping that it _had_ been her imagination this time. However, his heart sank when he spotted tracks in the sand about a hundred meters away from their camp. He couldn’t tell what it was except that it was an animal and not human. The prints were larger than a dog’s, but the shape was a little different. The negative imprint of very sharp claws made him shudder. Hopefully whatever it was, was only nocturnal. Not that being stalked at night was a good thing, but at least that would mean they would be safe during the day, and could take precautions at night, if it came to that. For the first time since he’d gotten dragged into this situation, he actually feared that they would not find Donna Hayes safe and sound. Hopefully she was clever enough to survive in an unfamiliar place such as this one and they would find her alive and well. He didn’t know her and had no opinion about her, but no one deserved to be stalked by a wild animal on some unknown planet.

When Jack returned to the campsite, Carter was sitting by the device, a portable computer screen on her knees and a couple of generators hooked up to the device with cables. She looked up when he approached. “I think I’m just about ready, sir.”

“Let’s do it – I’d rather not linger around here any longer than necessary.”

She gave him a startled look. “I did hear something earlier, didn’t I?”

“Looks like it.”

She rose to her feet – though Jack had to offer her a hand when she struggled with her knee, making his stomach constrict in dread even more – and stepped a couple of feet back. “Ready when you are, sir.”

Jack approached the device, and though the generators hummed quietly, the device didn’t do anything.

“Maybe it needs to recharge,” Carter suggested.

“Okay. I’d rather not stick around to find out. Let’s leave one of the generators hooked up, I’ll take the other one in my bag. We’ll come back after we find Hayes.”

Carter nodded in acknowledgement of his plan. She unplugged one of the generators and handed it to Jack while she placed something that looked like an electronic bug next to the ring.

“What’s that?”

“It emits a signal that my computer program will recognize. It’ll help us find our way back in case we lose track.”

“Nice. Let’s go.”

They geared up and started walking, following Hayes’ footprints towards the ridge. Now that it was light enough to see, Jack soon recognized the animal paw prints he’d seen earlier – many more of them, all over the place, and going in the same direction as Hayes’. He shared a concerned look with Carter, but neither of them said anything as they kept going.

Once they got to the top of the rise, they saw that it was in fact overlooking a relatively deep canyon that meandered away. The ridge they were standing on ended abruptly into a rather steep bluff, but one not impossible to climb down if they were careful. That would be one hell of a descent for Carter’s knee (and his), though. Jack took out his binoculars and breathed in relief as he saw water at the bottom. But still, it was a long way down.

Rather than climbing down, however, Hayes’ tracks turned to the right and continued along the ridge, so they decided to follow them. She must have gone looking for an easier way down.

Jack kept throwing quick glances at Carter, still limping badly at his side. Her features didn’t show any pain, but Jack still recognized it in the focused expression on her face and tightness of her jaw. “We need to find you a crutch or something,” he announced suddenly. However they hadn’t seen any vegetation with branches sturdy enough to fulfill that purpose.

“I’ll be fine, the aspirins will kick in soon. Let’s just focus on finding Hayes.”

Jack stopped and extended his arm in an invitation for her to lean on him. “Come on, I’ll give you a hand.”

Her expression was so startled that Jack would have thought it funny if part of him wasn’t annoyed with her insistence on putting on a brave face. She started shaking her head and opened her mouth to deny the need for this, but Jack beat her to it.

“Carter – you won’t last the day if you don’t pace yourself. Now get over here.”

She bit her tongue and finally did as he ordered. Jack slid one arm around her waist and she put hers around his neck. It was scary how easily they had fallen back into their military personas with the orders and the sirs.

“Thanks,” she muttered as they resumed walking.

“You bet.” Even though they weren’t moving quite as quickly as they normally would, at least they were going faster than earlier, and their position allowed Carter to rest her knee for a while.

They followed the ridge and Hayes’s tracks for a long time, mostly in silence. As the sun rose slowly higher – its progression did seem slower than Earth’s sun – the temperatures went up as well. It was still a manageable heat, but it didn’t take very long before they had to get rid of their jackets. They took a few minutes’ break, during which they donned sunglasses, hats, and used the sunscreen Jack had tossed into his bag the night before. Then they resumed their movement.

Jack sighed in relief a few minutes later when he saw that the path they were on along the cliff took a turn and actually seemed to enter the canyon and take them down the cliff in a much more manageable angle of descent. Had _people_ made this path? If not, it was one hell of a coincidence! It was wide enough for a small car, so that made it easier to follow without the fear of slipping. The vegetation changed a little too as they followed the trail down, with fewer cacti and more bushy plants growing in the cliff’s crevices. It even looked like there might be some pine-type trees further down the canyon. They’d probably be able to make a crutch for Carter from those.

After a while, Jack noticed with a sinking feeling that the animal tracks – which had disappeared for a while – had now returned, and sometimes even erased Hayes’. That meant the creatures had taken this path _after_ Hayes. Was she aware that she was being followed – had she been running away? Her tracks didn’t seem to suggest that, but it was a scary thought nonetheless.

“Tell me more about this Donna Hayes person. How smart is she?” Jack asked as they traipsed along, making slow but constant progress.

“Very. Probably too damn smart for her own good,” she added, mostly to herself.

“What does that mean?”

She hesitated. “Remember Cadet Hailey? Donna reminds me of her a little – she definitely has a chip on her shoulder.”

“I overheard you and Chan talking last night – about her giving you trouble the last few weeks.”

She shook her head. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

“I doubt there’s _anything_ you can’t handle, Carter. But if you want to talk about it, it appears we have some time on our hands. So, by all means. Distract me from this hell-hole.”

She gave a small chuckle. “Right. Okay. Well, sure, she hasn’t been the easiest person to work with. But she’s also an extremely capable and competent engineer.”

“High praise indeed.”

“No it’s true. What’s annoying, though, is that she’s actually quite friendly to other people. Guess I’m the lucky one.”

“What did you do to her, Carter?” Jack asked jokingly. “Steal her boyfriend or something? Oh God- not Dr. Chan?”

She snorted. “No. But rumor has it I might have stolen her _job_.”

“Ah.”

“Apparently she was up for the position too. I wasn’t made aware of this until a few weeks ago. If I had known when I first started, I might have been able to start on the right foot. But so far I haven’t been able to get through to her.”

“You’ll find a way.”

“Hopefully I’ll get the chance,” she replied under her breath, voicing the fear that Jack had kept to himself – that they wouldn’t find her alive.

“You will – we’re gonna find her, and she’s going to be fine. You said so yourself, she’s smart, I’m sure she’s found a way to make it.”

“I hope so. She _is_ very smart, but I don’t know if she has any training or experience that would have prepared her for this.”

“Does anyone? But, she seemed to have gone looking for water, so that’s a good sign.”

“Yeah.”

They were silent for a bit as they both considered this.

“How did you do it, with Daniel?” she asked after a moment. “If I recall he wasn’t all that keen on the military structure either at first.”

Jack considered it for a moment as memories of their first few missions through the Stargate, including to Abydos, flashed through his mind.

“It was different with Daniel. We had a common goal, and he knew that he had to take military actions to achieve it. And I think _I_ warmed up to _him_ – not the other way around. Even though I would never have told him to his face, I always admired his goddamned _goodness_ and ability to talk to people. Even when it annoyed me as hell.”

She chuckled a little and Jack had to admit, it felt good to go down memory lane with her, talking about the boys and their missions… It felt nice. And it also distracted him from certain things, like the dire situation they were in, the feeling of her lithe body moving next to his, and the increasing heat that made beads of sweat trickle uncomfortably down his back.

“But if I can make a suggestion,” Jack continued. “Show her that you respect her abilities and value what she brings to your team. I mean I’m sure you do that already because you’re… you know, _you,_ but maybe give her some responsibilities. Talk to her as you would to Daniel or Teal’c.” Jack consciously left himself out of this enumeration: Carter would never talk to him like she would Daniel or Teal’c, and for reasons that were too complicated to consider.

She threw him a look. “That’s actually great advice, thank you sir.”

“Don’t look so surprised.”

She looked away sheepishly. “I’m not, I swear. In fact, as much as you admire Daniel for his people skills, _I_ always admired you for yours.”

Jack was so taken aback by this statement that he stopped walking and stared at her incredulously. “Now wait a second-”

“I’m serious!” She cut him off. “You’ve always wanted to help people just as much as Daniel – and while, yes Daniel is more diplomatic, you value honesty above all else. And people trust you with their lives because of it.”

Jack stared at her for a few seconds, registering her words. That was probably one of the nicest things anyone had ever said to him. He decided to deflect it with humor. “Carter, you coming on to me?”

She snorted, chuckling and shaking her head, and started moving again, forcing Jack to do the same. Jack could almost swear that the arm around his shoulder had given him a squeeze. But it had to be his imagination.

They fell silent again, especially as the end of their conversation coincided with increasingly rough terrain and steeper drops along their path – which meant having to fully concentrate on their footing.

Going down that part of the journey turned into an arduous, lengthy process, and after about a couple hours of cautious steps around cracks and stepping down one-meter drops, Jack was hot, sweaty and irritable. Carter didn’t fare much better, and the soft, annoyed curses muttered under her breath increased in frequency as the temperature rose steadily, until it pretty much felt like they were back walking through the fires of Neetu. Jack was also starting to feel the effects from his lack of sleep, and Carter must have felt it too, which overall didn’t help with their respective levels of crabbiness.

After a while, which Jack spent constantly complaining in his head, they turned a corner and came upon a wider outcrop that formed the beginning of a rock shelter and actually afforded some shade from the cliff above. He felt Carter sigh in relief as she spotted the outcrop, so he didn’t even have to say anything. They walked into the shade, stepped apart, and sat down against the wall of the cliff with a sigh, pulling out their water to take a few sips. It was hard not to drink the whole bottle, but until Jack knew for sure that they had access to fresh, drinkable water, they’d have to ration what they carried. Jack removed his vest and pack and breathed in relief as the very slight breeze hit his sweaty t-shirt.

“Let’s take half an hour,” Jack decided as he looked up at the sun. It seemed to be about at its zenith, so they’d have to endure this heat for another few hours before it cooled down for the night. They seemed to be about halfway down though, so hopefully they would reach the bottom before nightfall.

Carter nodded gratefully as she extended her injured leg in front of her and leaned her head back against the wall of the cliff, closing her eyes. Jack’s eyes inevitably fell on her and he welcomed the opportunity to observe her for a while, discretely taking his fill of her familiar features. Even though she was sweaty, in pain and circles had appeared under her eyes over the last few hours, she was still one of the most beautiful women he’d ever met. Not only that, but she was also one of the smartest, most capable, caring persons he knew. She wasn’t perfect, but she came pretty damn close. And she was perfect to him. It was a cliché, but there it was. He was suddenly struck with how lucky he had been to spend all these years at her side. Even if nothing ever happened between them, at least they had that, and nothing could take that away. A fierce wave of mixed tenderness, desire and protectiveness swelled in his chest.

As if sensing his gaze on her, she opened her eyes and smiled self-consciously when she met his eyes. “What?”

Jack shook himself. “How’s the knee?”

“It’s fine. It could probably use some ice, though. In any case it doesn’t feel any worse than this morning, so I guess that’s as good a sign as any. I’m not looking forward to the climb back up, though,” she added as she extended her neck to look up the cliff and take in how far down they’d actually come.

Jack nodded. He wasn’t either, especially since his own knees had started protesting at the rough terrain a while back. “Let’s just do this one step at a time,” he reminded her, for his sake as much as hers. “How far ahead do you think Hayes is?” he asked as his gaze fell once more to the now familiar tracks they had been following.

“She went through the device about eight hours before we did. But it’s hard to tell when she decided to leave that area.”

Jack nodded, then gave a small smile. “Teal’c and Bra’tac would have known just by looking at the tracks.”

She shared his wry smile. “I won’t think any less of you for not having that talent, sir.”

They fell silent for a while and Jack closed his eyes, though he forced himself to stay awake. The threat of the as-of-yet invisible creatures was enough to make his senses stay on high alert at all times, anyway.

“Do you ever miss it? The SGC, I mean?” Her voice was small and wistful, and Jack opened his eyes. She probably couldn’t tell the difference behind his sunglasses, and in any case, her gaze seemed to be directed to the admittedly striking view they had of the canyon.

“Right now, not so much,” he replied sarcastically. However, not seeing the smile he had expected, he sighed and followed her gaze. “Every day. Every single day.”

ooooOoooo

 _Angel wings spread over water worn wishes_  
_Guarding the dreams and the things left unsaid_  
_Here we are wandering, aimlessly roaming_  
_Lovers who linger and never forget_

~ Where the road meets the sun ~ Katie Hertzig and Matthew Perryman Jones


	6. Down By the River

Ty stretched his neck and back as he dragged his feet to the coffee machine.

He’d spent the last couple hours on a video call with Eric Chan and he finally felt like he had a reasonable grip on the situation. At first Chan had been completely panicked by the two officers’ disappearance, though Ty came to suspect that his reasons were somewhat selfish: namely that Colonel Carter’s “disappearance” would be blamed on him. Not that Chan didn’t care about her – Ty could see that he held a lot of respect and even some puppy-like admiration for her. However, Chan had made a point of arguing that, if anybody could figure out how to return from wherever they’d gone, it was Colonel Carter herself.

“Are you saying we shouldn’t even try to bring them back?” Ty had asked, slightly annoyed.

“No, no, but what I am saying is that, based on their history, I’d say they’re more likely to save themselves in the end. You’ll see.”

Ty wasn’t willing to bet on it. And besides, his assignment was clear: to coordinate with the Stargate Command to see what could be done. So his next step was to get in touch with Dr. Jackson.

Cup now filled with the steaming hot beverage, he returned to his post, and dialed the phone. He had to get through several people, repeating the access code that came with his clearance over and over, until finally, the phone rang, and a sleepy voice answered.

“Y-hello.”

“Dr. Jackson? I’m Lieutenant Cunningham, calling from General O’Neill’s office at the Pentagon.”

Dr. Jackson was silent for a few seconds. “Okay…” he said slowly. “Oh I get it - Did he put you up to this?” he asked, sounding both suspicious and amused, as if he thought this was a prank call.

That threw Ty off. “Ah, I’m not sure I follow…”

“He’s messing with the both of us, Lieutenant. Just put him on.”

“Ah, actually, that’s why I’m calling. You see, General O’Neill and Colonel Carter have disappeared and-”

“Wait wait wait-” Dr. Jackson interrupted, suddenly speaking really fast. “Disappeared? From where? What happened?”

Ty was a little relieved that the man seemed to be catching up. “It’s a rather long story, but General Hammond has asked me to coordinate with you.”

And then, using his notes from his conversation with Chan, Ty proceeded to tell him everything he knew about what had happened to General O’Neill and Colonel Carter and how the device worked, and Dr. Jackson listened patiently.

“I need access to the device,” Dr. Jackson said at last. “Or photos of it or something. Maybe there’s something on it that can tell us where it sent them.”

“That can certainly be arranged,” Ty replied as he took notes. “Is there anything else I can do?”

Dr. Jackson seemed to consider it. “You work for Jack, right?”

“Yes, that is correct. I’m his aide-de-camp.”

“Well maybe you should get over here too. I’m sure Hammond can arrange it for you.”

Ty felt a rush of excitement. He was going to the Stargate facility! What better way than to learn about the Stargate program and help his boss? “I’ll be there in a few hours.”

ooooOoooo

Jack and Carter resumed their trek after about half an hour worth of rest on the shady outcrop.

They spent the next few hours making slow but constant progress down the side of the canyon, mostly carried out in silence as they both focused on what they were doing, and neither of them feeling in the mood to talk with the sun beating down on them, and the discomfort of their physical closeness under such hot conditions.

Finally, the heat started to dissipate as the sun slowly got lower over the horizon. The river was now visible from the path. It seemed to have a rather strong current, but more importantly it was there – and it was flanked by rows of trees that would afford shade, shelter and a nice branch to make a crutch for Carter. While under other circumstances Jack would have no objection to spending an entire day in that kind of physical closeness with her, it was too damn hot to make it enjoyable for either of them. Not forgetting that he was hungry, thirsty and getting increasingly tired from the lack of sleep, him activating the device, and the physical strain of the last few hours. In spite of all that, and although dusk was soon going to be upon them, they decided to keep pushing some more, basically until it got too dark to see anything. Jack was actually hopeful that they would reach the river before that.

The path suddenly became easier to maneuver once again, so they were able to make quicker progress, further bolstered by the lowering in temperatures. Feeling somewhat revitalized by this turn of events, Jack’s mood improved slightly and he stopped complaining in his mind. His thoughts turned inevitably to Carter instead, her wistful tone when she asked about the SGC earlier playing over and over in his head.

“You never told me, how’s life at Area 51?” Jack asked suddenly, trying to make it sound like he was making small talk, when in fact he was truly curious.

She threw him a quick look. Dusk was casting golden and pink hues on her face. “Good, it’s good,” she replied quickly. “Why do you ask?”

Jack shrugged. “Just making conversation, I guess. But you’re happy there, right?” he pushed.

She threw him another, longer look – one that seemed heavier for some reason. “Sure. It’s a different kind of challenge, you know?”

“Let’s pretend I don’t…”

She gave a quick, small smile. “Well, granted it’s not quite as exciting as gate travel, but I never know what kinds of device or technology I’m going to be working on, and trying to retro-engineer some of that stuff for our purposes can be difficult, so it’s a nice challenge, on an intellectual level,” she explained. “How about you?”

“Me?”

She nodded. “How’s the Pentagon?”

“It’s fine, I guess.”

“Not what you expected?”

“No, it’s _exactly_ what I expected.” Jack shrugged a little. “I mean, truthfully – and don’t tell anyone, I have a reputation – but I actually enjoy being part of the higher-level decision-making, and I think I’m doing good over there, you know, having first-hand experience with gate travel. Plus I like my assistant –Cunningham? He reminds me of you and Daniel.”

She gave a small, curious smile. “Really?”

Jack nodded. “He has Daniel’s tendency for being a smart-ass and _your_ good sense to keep it to himself.”

She chuckled.

“He’s a good kid. And I get a kick out of referring to him as my receptionist. He hates it.”

“Wow, you really do like him.”

Jack gave her a sidelong look. “Do you really have to make it sound like I have a crush or something?”

“Well, maybe you do,” she quipped, raising an amused eyebrow and the corners of her lips twitching upwards.

“Okay, that nice thing I just said about you? I take it back.”

She chuckled.

“But I gotta say,” Jack went on, going back to her earlier question. “I do miss the action sometimes. Though right now I’m not sure why.”

“Ever think of going back?”

“To the SGC?” Jack shook his head. “I don’t think so, I’m too old for that stuff. Besides, I’m sure Landry’s gonna do a fine job. Which reminds me, did you know we’ve given command of SG-1 to Cam Mitchell?” Jack continued.

Her head snapped to him in surprise, but then she gave a small smile. “Really? Good. He’ll do great.”

Jack threw her a look. “Not wishing it was you instead? You would have gotten it, you know.”

She shook her head. “Oh no. I mean it would have been a great opportunity, but I’m not sure I can deal with everything’s that changed over there. At least not yet.”

Jack nodded in understanding. He didn’t deal with change very well, either. “So was this job the fresh start you were hoping for?” Jack asked a little more quietly.

He could feel her gaze on him, but kept focusing his attention to the path.

“In some ways.”

Jack rolled his eyes at that non-answer. The two of them were experts at those.

“I kind of envy you, though,” she went on after a long beat. “I mean the part where you have a life outside of work.”

Jack frowned, not sure exactly to what she was referring or where she was going with this.

“I hope Agent Johnson – Kerry, was it? – wasn’t too disappointed,” she continued.

Jack took a whole second to process this last sentence. “What do you mean?”

She stammered a little. “Well, just, the plans you had. At the cabin this week.”

Jack frowned in utter confusion. “Carter what the hell are you-”

 _Holy crap._ Was it possible that she…?

The sudden realization made him stop walking and he turned to face her. “Carter,” he started slowly, voicing his rising suspicion, “are you telling me that all this time you thought I moved to D.C. to be with Kerry?”

Her expression turned into a mix of confusion and defensiveness, which he perceived even though her sunglasses. “Well didn’t you? I thought- To be honest it’s the only thing that made sense to me to explain why you left the SGC.”

Jack still couldn’t believe it. _All this time_ , she’d thought he was still in a relationship with Kerry! That suddenly explained a whole lot of things: her awkwardness around him the last couple of days, including the hurt he’d see cross her face whenever she’d mentioned his vacation at the cabin; why they’d never had “the conversation” Jack had always hoped they’d have once one of them left the SGC; her desire to have a “fresh start” away from him… Damn!

As frustrated as this was, though, and as much as he wanted to shake her out of this stupid idea – it also gave him hope. That she felt the same way about him. And that she hadn’t made a move because she’d believed him to have moved on. Oh he’d tried, especially as he’d seen the date of her wedding approach, but he had failed miserably. Not that there was any surprise there.

“Carter, Kerry and I ended things _months_ ago!” he replied, both relieved and frustrated at once.

“What?” She replied incredulously. “I don’t understand. Then who did you call?”

“What? When?” Jack replied in utter confusion.

“Back at the lab – I though you were calling Kerry to let her know what was going on…”

“I was cancelling my flight to Minnesota!”

She still looked disbelieving. “Okay, wait,” she halted him with a raised hand, “are you telling me that-”

Whatever she was going to say was cut short as they both heard the breathing, almost purring sound of _something_ else nearby. It was loud enough to feel as though it reverberated in Jack’s chest. They both stiffened, and a second later they could _smell_ it too, a powerful musky, pungent smell that reminded Jack of skunk spray. He was vaguely aware of Carter dropping her sunglasses to the ground as they both reached for their weapons.

But before he could make a full sweep, something heavy, smelly and claw-y jumped onto his back.

“General!”

And then everything happened so fast it felt like they happened in slow motion: Jack felt something sharp scratch his neck and upper back as he was pushed forward by the force of the creature jumping on him from behind. Realizing that his back pack had probably saved his life and acting purely on instinct, Jack disentangled his arms from the straps and rolled away, leaving the creature a couple of feet away with his bag. At that moment he became aware that another creature had jumped Carter and that she was on her back struggling to get a hit in the creature’s face while the animal pinned her down. Jack’s senses barely registered that it looked like a mix between a mountain lion and a hyena - sandy colored, hyena-like snout and teeth, and stocky-looking stature – before he took a shot at the creature hovering above Carter. It cried out, but didn’t budge. If anything it went at Carter with more fervor. Nonetheless that gave Carter the millisecond she needed to grab the Zat she’d dropped and she zatted the creature right in the face.

She seemed to now have the upper hand, so Jack returned his attention to his own attacker, but before he could shoot it, the creature charged again and this time the force from the jump made Jack fall onto his back. Jack kept rolling until he was able to use the creature’s momentum against it and send it flying over his head with his leg. Unfortunately he missed the ravine. But that gave him a second to reach for the first thing his hand could reach: the bottle of bug spray that had apparently rolled out of his torn bag. As the creature charged him again, Jack sprayed the chemical right into the creature’s eyes. It made a nightmarish painful cry and stopped its attack, and before Jack could grab his gun, it ran away.

Heart beating fast and breathing hard, he turned to Carter again and saw her slowly rise to her feet, her gaze directed to the now unmoving body of the creature that had attacked her. They met each other’s gaze and nodded – silently confirming that they were okay. Jack made his way to what was left of his bag. Putting everything back inside, he quickly used duct tape to fix the tear and geared up again before returning to Carter’s side.

“Sir, you’re bleeding,” she stated breathlessly as he slid his arm around her waist again and in doing so she noticed the gash on his upper back.

“Later. Let’s move. We need to find a secure campsite before that thing comes back with friends.”

They started walking again, and as much as Jack wanted to finish their conversation, the urgency of the situation put anything aside from their safety to the back of his mind. It was getting darker now, but _at last_ they reached the bottom of the canyon. However Jack was too tired and concerned for their safety to even feel relief or any sense of accomplishment. Carter pulled her flashlight from her vest and they were able to keep following Hayes’ tracks in the twilight.

“Should we try the tree line for shelter?” Carter suggested, her voice loud in the quiet of the darkness around them.

Not seeing any other alternatives for now, Jack agreed. “Yeah, let’s go.”

As they turned towards the river, another rustling sound coming from the vegetated area startled them into a halt as they both grabbed their weapons and Carter aimed the flashlight in the direction of the sound.

But rather than finding some animal, it illuminated a woman figure running out of the woods. “Oh my God!” The woman cried out with relief, and before they could react, she – Donna Hayes, Jack assumed – rushed towards them and threw her arms around Carter.

Carter looked so surprised by this outburst of relief and affection that Jack had to bite back a smile. Was that the woman Carter said was so difficult to mollify? Well, problem solved.

“I can’t believe you came for me,” Donna Hayes was saying as she let go of Carter and stared at the two of them. She was probably in her thirties, of athletic build but shorter than Carter, pretty, even though she was dirty and her jeans were torn at the thigh. But she seemed uninjured. She was shaking uncontrollably, though, so much that her teeth clattered when she spoke.

“Are you okay, Donna?” Carter asked gently as she tried to assess any injury, though it was getting harder and harder to see anything with the lack of light. Even so, she knew as well as Jack did that Donna was in shock.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Something’s been stalking me since I first got here though. I hid in the trees at night. They don’t seem to be able to climb up trees.”

“That’s good to know,” Jack replied. “But how about we find shelter? We just encountered those… things… and I’d rather not have a round 2.”

“Oh – yeah, I noticed that there’s a more defensible spot further by the river. There are a bunch of big rocks forming almost like an alcove – but not having anything to defend it with, I decided to stick with the trees.”

“Can you take us there?” Carter asked calmly, trying to get useful information from the babbling woman.

Donna nodded and they started walking again. For the first time that day, Carter decided to walk on her own, and Jack didn’t blame her. Not only was she probably processing their earlier conversation and therefore needed some space, but she also wouldn’t want to show her vulnerability to Donna. Jack felt strangely cold at the loss, though.

“I still can’t believe you came for me,” Donna said again as they made their way to the trees bordering the river. She turned to Jack, as if seeing him for the first time.

“Oh, this is General Jack O’Neill,” Carter introduced, “my…”

“Colleague, friend, _former_ CO,” Jack suggested when she hesitated, giving her a pointed look as he spoke. Her eyes met his – and they still registered her shock and surprise at Jack’s earlier announcement about Kerry.

“Oh SG-1, of course. It’s an honor to meet you, General,” Donna replied. “Colonel Carter speaks about you and your time at the SGC together all the time.”

Jack’s smile widened as he heard Carter’s low “Oh for Heaven’s sake!”

ooooOoooo

_Honey I know, hey when we walked arm in arm_  
_I felt like we can throw away the falseness of our past_  
_And I know too it's been the hardest days for you_  
_Let's throw them out the window_  
_That's what those lovers do_

_~ Down by the River – Milky Chance_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're about halfway through, so I'll post the rest tomorrow! In the meantime, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!


	7. You are the strength that keep me walking

Dr. Jackson was different from what Ty had imagined: younger, for one, despite the beard that gave him an older look. And friendlier too. After introducing himself as “Daniel,” one of the first things he said, smirking, was: “so you work for Jack, huh?” He feigned a wince. “I’m sorry.”

Ty had smiled, understanding from his tone that, despite his words, Dr. Jackson was in fact really fond of O’Neill. “With all due respect to my previous supervisors, this one’s definitely much more interesting to be around.”

Daniel had grinned. “Oh I’ll bet.”

Now, the SGC, on the other hand, was something else entirely. In fact, Ty had had no expectation whatsoever, having no idea what this “Stargate” even looked like. But the facility and the people working there blew his mind with their dedication to their work, and their camaraderie with each other. Clearly being involved in this program created very tight bonds between those who worked there. The more he saw, the more Ty couldn’t help but feel a little envious. His job suddenly seemed boring, useless and a load of bureaucratic, pompous crap.

Daniel briefly introduced him to General Landry – an equally unorthodox general – who made some quip about O’Neill and Carter ‘making it a habit’ that Ty didn’t have the background knowledge to understand. Daniel had smirked, though.

Daniel apologized for not being authorized to show him the Stargate, but he did tell Ty about it, what it looked like, and the way it worked. “Sam could explain it better, but, that’ll do for now.”

Then they went to Daniel’s lab, which was filled with books, more books, and random-looking objects, some looking very old. “What is it that you do, here, exactly? I mean, you’re civilian, correct?” Ty asked as he took it all in.

Daniel nodded as he sat at his computer. “I’m an archaeologist. I’m – well, I used to be on SG-1.”

Ty nodded. “With General O’Neill and Colonel Carter.”

“And Teal’c.”

At Ty’s frown, he waved him off. “I’ll tell you more about him later. Now, I got the photos of the device you sent me, but I’m still trying to cross-reference the symbols with other languages and symbols we’ve seen before. I could use some help going through those books.”

Ty looked at the pile, and while this wasn’t necessarily his idea of a fun time, all of it was so new to him that he enthusiastically grabbed the first book from the pile.

Daniel handed him copies of the symbols on the device. “Howler if you see anything like these.”

And that was Ty’s first ever assignment at the SGC.

ooooOoooo

After making sure that the spot by the river that Donna had identified was in fact defendable, Jack built a fire, and they settled for the night. They prepared some of the MRE’s, mostly for Donna who hadn’t eaten anything since she’d gotten here. Hayes also confirmed that the water from the river seemed potable as she’d been drinking from it the last day or so – so they took their fill and refilled their bottles.

As the meal cooked over the fire, he and Carter used the freakishly cold water to freshen up a bit, and clean some of the scratches they’d both gotten from the earlier attack. Then Carter set to look at the wound on his back when he expressed the desire to change into the spare t-shirt he had in his bag.

“It’s a pretty deep scratch, sir,” she said quietly as she used the alcohol-imbibed gauzes to clean it. Jack winced at the painful stinging. “It would probably do better with stitches, but a bandage will have to do for now. We’ll have to make sure that it stays clean though.” She added as she dressed it. Her voice and touch were gentle, and Jack once more became aware of her closeness, and how easy it would be to slip his arm around her, or shift closer. But that was not possible, especially now that they were a party of three.

“Hopefully I’m not infected with some kind of werewolf-y illness.”

She snorted. “Don’t even joke about that.”

“ _A Werewolf at the Pentagon_ , that sounds like a good trashy movie, doesn’t it?” Jack continued teasingly.

She gave a soft chuckle this time. " _Trashy_ being the operative word here, then yes sir."

When she was done and busied herself with putting away the first aid kit, Jack used one of the bandages and soaked it into the freezing water before handing it to her. “For your knee.”

She looked up at him in surprise, but smiled, the kind that used to melt his insides. And still did. “Thanks.”

Jack nodded, then proceeded to divide the food into their bowls. They all settled around the fire to eat. Once again Jack was struck by how familiar this all felt – eating MRE’s with Carter sitting next to him in front of a fire with an unfamiliar night sky above them. He could almost hear Carter and Daniel jokingly trying to guess what the MREs actually were, or Teal’c’s baritone voice as he told a Jaffa ghost story. At that moment he realized that he _had_ missed it, going off-world – with all the dangers and excitement that it implied. But he’d also meant what he’d told Carter earlier: he wouldn’t go back, even if he could. He really was getting too old for that stuff; his knees and lower back had complained almost all day, and though he was as fit as the next guy, he was definitely a little rusty on the walking-all-day thing.

Now that didn’t mean that he would give up trying to find a way out of here, for all of their sakes. “Dr. Hayes,” he started, “have you explored this canyon at all?”

She was wearing Carter’s jacket now, and she had stopped shivering. “A little – in that direction, but I haven’t found anything. Are you thinking of something in particular?”

“Another path, maybe? The path we took to get down won’t be easy to climb back up.”

Hayes shook her head. “Sorry, I haven’t seen anything like that. So what’s the plan to get out of here?” she asked, her eyes travelling between the two of them. “The device doesn’t work from this side.”

Jack felt Carter stiffen next to him at this last part and recognized the challenging tone in Hayes’ voice and that dooming certainty that Carter hated. In her scientific, brilliant mind, nothing was certain until it was tested, challenged, and retested. And even then, she had a penchant for pulling crazy ideas that defied many a law of physics. But Jack realized that _this_ , this tone and attitude, was what Carter had meant when she said Hayes had a chip on her shoulder. Her tone was definitely abrupt enough to make it sound simultaneously condescending and challenging.

“We don’t really understand how the device works yet,” Carter reminded her. “I left it hooked up on a generator, hoping that it’ll charge in the time it takes us to return.”

“What if it doesn’t work?”

Carter threw Jack a glance. “Well, we’ll just have to find another way.”

“How? There’s _nothing_ here,” Donna replied.

“Let’s just take this one step at a time, shall we?” Jack intervened quietly. “I’ll go explore the area in the morning. For now finish your food, and get some sleep, I’ll take first watch.”

“Yes sir,” Carter replied dutifully.

Jack finished his meal, cleaned his bowl, then climbed on top of one of the boulders that surrounded their camp and sat down, facing away from the river and towards the woods and dark cliff. That way he was able to keep watch over the camp while not worrying about one of those creatures creeping up on him from behind.

It wasn’t long before Carter joined him, not without difficulty because of her knee. Jack gave her his hand and she took it gratefully as she settled next to him.

Jack couldn’t help the flutter of anticipation that tightened his stomach, but shook it away and sat quietly, staring into the darkness ahead.

“There’s something I don’t understand,” Carter started at last, her voice just above a whisper.

“What’s that?”

“Why did you leave the SGC, if it wasn’t for, you know, Kerry?” She asked, sounding genuinely confused.

Jack had actually expected her to talk about their situation, not bring up this particular conversation. He threw her a glance. She was looking at him, her expression open but still frowning in confusion. The flames from the fire painted her face with orange and shadows, and her eyes glittered with the reflected light. God she was beautiful. He never tired of looking at her.

_For you_ , he thought. “It was time,” he said instead. When her frown deepened he sighed. “My job at the SGC is done, Carter – the Goa’ulds are gone, the Replicators too, and the Jaffas have their freedom. I’ve found Skaara and Shaure – for better or for worse – which was what I set out for in the first place.”

“That’s it?” she sounded disappointed.

Jack hesitated about divulging the one big one, but in the end he merely shrugged. “For the most part.” Yeah, he was pretty good at those non-answers too. “Why did _you_ leave?” he retorted, more harshly than he’d meant to sound.

She nodded, understanding that he was making a point and was not actually asking, but he thought he saw a brief flicker of hurt cross her face before she nodded. “Okay. Good night, sir.”

Jack kicked himself for his comment as she climbed down, also realizing that he’d just missed an opportunity – to truly tell her how he felt, and what he hoped. But now the moment had passed and she was getting ready for sleep. Besides, it was unlikely that Hayes was asleep already, and Jack had no desire to have this conversation in front of an audience, especially one that could potentially use it as ammunition against Carter.

But he promised himself that they would clear up the air as soon as they figured out a way out of this place.

ooooOoooo

The next morning, Jack felt relatively rested, thanks to a few hours of actual sleep. He’d woken Carter up halfway through the night, and she’d taken his post with a quiet ‘good night, sir,’ her usual reply in situations like this. There had been no sign of the creatures all night, which was encouraging. Perhaps they were afraid of fire – or bug spray.

After they went through their morning routines and breakfasted on granola bars, Jack decided to go explore for a bit. When he voiced his intention, both Carter and Hayes insisted on accompanying him. So they packed up and left together. Carter appeared to have moved on from his clumsy comment from the night before, and she was back to her usual, albeit limping, self.

As they retraced their steps from the previous night thought the dispersed trees that flanked the river, Jack finally found what he’d been looking for yesterday: a branch tall and sturdy enough to be used as a crutch. He handed it to Carter, who took it with a small, grateful smile. Using some piece of clothing from her pack as a cushion for her armpit, it wasn’t long before they started moving again.

“What happened?” Jack heard Hayes ask from behind them.

Carter threw her a look. “Oh a bad fall,” she replied. Then she asked Hayes about how she had spent her time here, and they started talking.

Jack tuned out their conversation and focused on his surroundings as they walked away from the river, making their way back towards the cliff. They soon reached the end of the trees, so Jack took them in the direction opposite the one they’d come from the day before, following the base of the canyon and parallel to the river. The sun was barely up yet and it was already getting hot as hell. But at least now they had water close by. They walked like this for about an hour, which Jack spent looking around for signs of a path, or anything else that could be of use to them. If they didn’t find anything, at some point he’d have to make an executive decision about how much time they’d spend down here vs when they should start their climb back to the device. Carter’s knee needed rest, they both knew it (though she wouldn’t say as much), so he’d have to take that into consideration.

Lost in thought (but also highly alert), his brain suddenly perceived an anomaly in the landscape, and when Jack realized what it was that had caught his attention, he stopped. A couple of stone columns towered above the trees in the distance, creating the impression of a doorway they’d have to pass. _Human-made_ stone columns.

Even more surprising was that the whole thing looked familiar. _Really_ familiar, but Jack couldn’t remember from where.

Carter and Hayes soon joined him. “Okay, here’s our proof that _someone_ was here at some point,” Carter reflected out loud. “I suspected the path we used yesterday was too convenient not to have been put there by people.”

“Besides, _someone_ made and used the mini-Stargate,” Jack added.

“How does that help us?” Donna said. “I mean no offense, but it doesn’t look like anyone’s been here in a long time.”

Jack took that to be a rhetorical question that didn’t require an answer and started walking again. Now that he was fully alert to his surroundings, Jack spotted several other columns aligned with each other. A little ahead, the trees that bordered the water cleared up and offered an open view on the river. When they reached the clearing, Jack happened to glance across, and stopped dead in his tracks. On the opposite wall of the canyon a huge building façade was carved into the very wall of the cliff, and columns created a central aisle leading to an opening in the middle. A door that led into the cliff? The columns on this side of the river appeared to be part of that aisle, and had perhaps even supported a bridge connecting the two banks at some point, as huge stones were visible sticking out of the river. (Where’s Daniel when you need him? Jack thought). The structure looked so familiar, though, and yet Jack still couldn’t place it. He had seen in before, but where and how?

“Wow, that reminds me of -” Carter started.

“Petra, in Jordan,” Hayes finished for her.

And suddenly Jack knew where he’d seen this before: photos from one of the SGC reports that had crossed his desk a few weeks ago. The person who had written the report had also made a comparison to Petra (which Jack admittedly only knew because he’d watched Indian Jones and the Last Crusade with Daniel). He racked his brain trying to remember the details from that mission. But more importantly, it meant that… “Carter,” Jack started slowly, trying to contain his sudden excitement, “have you by any chance read the report that SG-7 produced for P58…-whatever it was?”

“P58 X70, where they found the device? Yes, but I focused on what they had to say about the technology. Why?”

Jack exhaled slowly. “Because I think _this_ is it. I think we’re _on_ P58…whatever. I’ve seen pictures of this place in one of the reports.”

Carter looked around quickly, as if looking for some clue that he was correct. “Are you positive?” she asked, but he could hear the hope bubble in her voice.

“Pretty much.”

“Why, what does that mean for us?” Hayes asked, confused.

“It means there’s a Stargate here,” Carter replied as she threw him a grin.

“You’re kidding? We can go home?”

“Let’s find it first,” Jack cautioned, just in case. “If I’m right it’s inside, so we have to find a safe spot to cross the river.”

The details of the report were coming back to Jack’s mind now, (much to his surprise, he didn’t really believe he remembered anything from skimming over those): SG-7 had explored the structure sheltering the Stargate, only to find that it was basically part of a system of subterranean chambers dug out from the side of the cliff. There had been no sign of recent human occupation. It’s only when they started exploring outside, by the river, that they found the mini-Stargate and after some deliberation decided to bring it back. According to the report, the cliff building and inner chambers displayed architectural similarities with early Lantian sites in this galaxy, but the connection could never truly be established as there had been no sign of writing, or recognizable Ancient technology at the site. So the device was sent to Area 51 for study.

“So that means that there were two devices on _this planet_ ,” Carter thought out loud as they resumed walking towards the river again.

Jack threw her a curious glance. “Does that change your theory about what it does?”

She gave him an excited smile. “Maybe! For one it means it probably wasn’t designed to send people across the galaxy, which might explain why it required so much energy to activate it in our case.”

“But then what did they use it for?” Hayes asked.

Carter shook her head. “I don’t know.”

When they reached the river, Jack found that, even though it was relatively shallow, the current was too strong to cross just anywhere. So they continued walking along the bank, trying to find a spot that would be easier to maneuver. There was a nice breeze traveling over the water though, which made it actually quite comfortable compared to the heat they’d felt away from the water.

Carter walked up to fall in step with him. “Sir, I’ve been thinking. Assuming there’s a DHD, we still don’t have a GDO.”

Jack nodded. “I’ve thought of that.”

“But we should just take this one step at a time?” she repeated his earlier words with a small smile.

“Exactly.”

“I can do that.”

They walked quietly for a few beats. “Carter, about what I said last night, about my reasons for leaving,” Jack started after throwing a quick look over his shoulder to make sure that Hayes 1) was still following and 2) wasn’t paying attention to their conversation.

Carter touched his arm reassuringly. “No, it’s fine, sir. You don’t have to justify yourself, least of all to me. I actually understand your reasons better than you think. I was just taken by surprise.”

He gazed at her profile for a moment. “Really?”

She nodded, throwing him a brief smile. “You were right. I think my reasons for leaving were very similar, actually. You know, feeling like we’d reached a turning point, that we’d accomplished what we’d set out for in the first place.”

Jack was quiet for a bit as he hesitated to say what was burning on his tongue. He threw another look over his shoulder, and saw with frustration that Hayes was now a little closer to them. She would be able to hear from that distance. So he stepped a tad closer to Carter and dropped his voice to just above a whisper. “That’s not all, though. I mean those are not the only reasons.”

She threw him a startled look. “They’re not?”

Jack shook his head slightly and rested his gaze on her face in a pointed look. “There’s one big one I haven’t mentioned earlier, if you get my meaning. Not now, though,” he said with a gesture in Hayes’ direction. “When we get back to Earth.”

Her eyes had widened at his innuendo, but an endearingly hopeful smile lit up her face, despite her surprise. She nodded after the few seconds it took her to recover her composure. “Let’s get back home, then.”

Jack bit back a smile as he tried to contain the bubbling, hopeful emotions trying to surface. But not yet. They still had to get out of this situation first. But at least he could now breathe easier, knowing that they would soon clear up the air.

“Hey, look!” Hayes suddenly said, and Jack’s gaze followed where she was pointing. They had now reached the aisle of stone columns leading to the monument entrance on the other side of the water, and it was now completely obvious that a bridge had existed at some point in the past. However not much of it was left except for seven or eight half-crumbled supporting pillars spread out at an interval across the 30m or so width of the river. The broken pillars were quite wide, relatively close to each other and not too high – barely sticking out of the water – which meant they could potentially jump from one to the other and cross that way. Except that Carter probably wouldn’t be able to make the jumps with her injured knee.

Jack bit his cheek as he considered this. Gazing at Carter, he raised his eyebrows questioningly. “What do you think? Think you can make it?”

She considered it for a second. “Honestly, sir, I don’t think so.”

“Maybe we can make a zip-line or something,” Donna suggested. “You have ropes, right? General O’Neill could go first, we’d extend a rope between the two of us so that Colonel Carter could use it to cross.”

“We don’t have anything to anchor the rope to, though,” Jack replied, considering the plan.

“We’ll use our body weight,” Donna replied. “We’ll both tie one end of the rope around our waist or something.”

Carter shook her head. “It’s not a bad idea but it won’t work. I’m pretty sure I weigh more than you, Donna. I’d just pull you down into the water with my weight.” She gazed at Jack. “Sir, short of building a raft, I don’t think I’m going to get across. You’ll have to go without me.”

“What? You can’t stay behind,” Donna protested, just as Jack gave her a warning look.

“Carter.”

“I’ll be fine,” she retorted. “You two should go find the Stargate. Once you’ve made it back to the SGC, you can come back with the means to cross back and forth. In the meantime I’ll try to find another way to cross. Maybe the river is shallower further upstream.”

She held Jack’s disapproving gaze unflinchingly.

“Sir, it’s the right thing to do, you know it.”

Jack hated to admit it, but she had a point. Damn it, why did she have to be so damn brave all the time? He was suddenly transported to a different time and place: both of them standing on opposite sides of a Goa’uld force shield, her eyes pleading him to go and leave her behind. He had been physically unable to do it then. And while the idea was just as repulsive now, he wasn’t leaving her to die. He’d make damn sure of that.

“Alright,” he finally agreed, though the words tasted bitter in his mouth. “You keep your radio open. Stay within reach. If you can’t find another spot to cross before nightfall, you go back to our campsite and make a fire. Even though we didn’t see any signs of those…things… last night doesn’t mean they won’t come back. We’ll come and get you as soon as we can.”

Jack went through his bag and gave her some of his provisions. If all went well Jack and Hayes would be back on Earth soon anyway, and if not, they’d just come back and rejoin Carter. Incidentally giving away his provisions also made his pack a little lighter, which was exactly what he needed to be able to pull the stunt they were about to try, so he also pulled out his sunscreen and bug spray.

“If the Zat doesn’t work, that will,” he joked as he placed the items in her hand, and she shared his small, tight smile.

“Yes, sir.”

“Generator?”

Carter shook her head. “You should keep that. In case you need it to power the Stargate.”

Jack nodded, then put his pack back on. They shared a long look then, and even through they were both wearing opaque sunglasses, Jack could tell that she was as distraught by this as he was. But she had always been great at keeping her chin up, and he could also see her determination in the tight set of her jaw. God, he loved her. Deeply, irrevocably.

After a long moment, Jack shook himself and turned to Hayes. “Alright, let’s do this.”

Donna nodded quietly, and Jack saw in her expression that she had noticed their silent ‘conversation’. But she looked more shaken by it than triumphant, and Jack acknowledged that maybe she wouldn’t use that against Carter after all.

“You stay safe,” Jack said to Carter, “that’s an order.”

She nodded, smiling a little. “Yes sir. Besides, I have a very important conversation to look forward to. I don’t plan on missing it.”

 

ooooOoooo

_You are the strength,_   
_That keeps me walking._   
_You are the hope,_   
_That keeps me trusting._   
_You are the light,_   
_To my soul._   
_You are my purpose,_   
_You're everything._

_~ Everything – Lifehouse_


	8. The Water is Wide

Ty stretched and rubbed his face to try and wake himself up. He had spent hours going through books while Daniel researched on the Internet, and his sleepless night was finally catching up to him. He considered getting another cup of coffee, but he’d already had more than he could take – he was now fidgety _and_ exhausted. And starving.

He blew out a sigh as he closed one of the last books from the pile. There were only a couple left.

Daniel looked up from whatever he was perusing. “Anything?”

Ty shook his head.

Daniel nodded in acknowledgement and checked his watch. “Okay. You should take a break. I’ll finish going over the last few.”

Ty shook his head. “I’m fine. I just need some food, I think.”

Daniel slapped his desk as he made a decision. “Right. Let’s go get something from the commissary. You should have said something. I tend to lose track of time.”

“Well, I’ll know for next time,” Ty replied as they started meandering through various corridors. Good thing Daniel was there – Ty would never have found his way back by himself.

“Tell me more about the Stargate program,” Ty asked once they both had a tray of food and they sat at one of the tables.

“What do you want to know?”

“How long has it been running? How did you get involved?”

Daniel proceeded to tell him about how a lady called Katherine had recruited him, and described his and O’Neill’s first trip through the Stargate and their encounter with the people of Abydos and an alien personifying Ra. It was all so extraordinary, Ty wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen this place with his own eyes.

“Sounds like it would make a great movie,” Ty joked.

Daniel smiled. “Well, the TV show tanked.”

“There was a TV show?”

“Oh yeah. Thank goodness that failed.”

As they ate Ty asked more questions about SG-1 – how the rest of the team had gotten involved, why Teal’c had joined their sides, and so on – all the while listening with a curiosity and interest he hadn’t felt about anything in a long time.

Once done with their meal, they made their way back to Daniel’s lab, and went back to work. Ty felt re-energized by the food, the break and the stories, so he picked up the next book with enthusiasm and determination. He flipped through the pages, but stopped when something caught his eye. Flipping back to the page he’d spotted, he grinned triumphantly.

ooooOoooo

They ended up using the ropes as a kind of safety net to cross the river.

Jack and Donna both tied one around their waist, and gave the other ends to Carter, who fastened them around a big, unmovable rock on the edge of the river. That way, if one of them fell into the water and found themselves unable to swim, Carter would be able to pull them back to the riverbank. The ropes weren’t long enough to allow that safety net for the whole crossing though, so it was decided that when they reached the end of the ropes, Jack would signal Carter to untie them from her end.

When they were all ready to go, Jack exchanged one last look and nod with Carter, then pushed all of his reluctance and aversions about leaving her behind to the back of his mind – this was _Carter_ , she would be fine – and turned on his heels. They walked a couple of minutes to reach the first stone pillar. The broken pillars seemed higher from up close, but they were also wider, maybe two meters wide, so it would make the jumping and landing easier, giving them a little bit of space to gain momentum. Jack gave a leg up to Donna to climb up onto the first one, and she then helped him climb up with her extended hand.

Jack’s radio crackled to life once they were both safely standing on the first pillar. “How does it look up there?” Carter’s disembodied voice asked.

The gap between each pillar was about the same as the width of the pillars. Jack gave Donna a questioning look. “Still want to do this?”

She seemed a little scared, but nodded nonetheless. Jack grabbed his radio. “Looks doable, we’ll be able to do this, no problem,” he reassured her – and Donna.

“Good to hear. Good luck.”

“Thanks. We’ll see you in a bit.” Jack replaced his radio into his pocket. “Can you swim?” he asked Donna as he looked down at the water flowing around the stones.

“Yeah, I was on the swim team in college.”

Jack stared at her in surprise for a long second. Oh yeah, she'd be fine. “Let's try not to fall anyway, okay?”

She gave a nervous chuckle. “Understood.”

Jack was the first to jump the first gap, and he landed easily on the second pillar. Donna followed him a second later and Jack reached out for her just in case she came short. But she did fine. “Alright, piece of cake,” he muttered to himself. They kept on going, and though some of the stones were uneven or a little slippery with water, they managed the first few easily. Their ropes reached their maximum when they got about halfway through. The water seemed much deeper in the middle, and the current quite strong. And though Jack was hot and sweaty, he had no desire to take a plunge.

Jack picked his radio again and turned back in the direction where Carter was still standing on the riverbank. From the distance he could only see a dark silhouette and a flash of golden hair. “Okay, Carter, let ‘em loose.”

He saw her unfasten the ropes in the distance. “Okay sir, you’re good to go. How’s it going?” she asked, sounding concerned.

Jack gave a wry smile, even though she couldn’t see it. “I might jinx it if I say anything.”

She gave a soft chuckle into the radio. “Got it. Didn’t know you were the superstitious kind, sir.”

“Well, you know, can’t be too careful.”

“Yes sir.”

Jack and Donna reeled back their respective ropes and exchanged the opposite ends. “Okay, let’s keep moving. Still feeling alright?” Jack asked.

Donna licked her lips, wiping sweat from her brow, but nodded.

“Okay, pace yourself. Take your time, got it?”

She nodded again.

They resumed the jumps from pillar to pillar, and though Jack’s legs and knees were getting a little shaky from the strain and rather rough landings, he resolutely kept going. He was actually surprised to see that Donna was following his order, staying focused on what she was doing and carefully setting up each jump before she leapt.

Finally, after what felt like an hour – though it had probably just been half that time – they reached the last standing pillar. Jack realized with some dismay that the next and last one had almost totally disappeared and was so short that it was now under water. They only had a few meters to go to reach the bank though, and the water didn’t look as deep as it did in the middle – they could actually see the rocky riverbed underneath the surface.

“What’s the plan?” Donna asked, panting, as she stood next to Jack.

“I’m gonna get down there. We’ll walk the rest of the way.” Jack removed his shoes and socks, putting them in his bag, and rolled up his pants to his knees. Donna imitated him and he took her stuff in his bag. Lying down on his stomach, Jack let his feet dangle, then slowly slid the rest of his body until he was hanging down the side of the pillar. Even in this position, he had water up to his calves, so he let himself drop down the rest of the way. The landing hurt his feet a little, but he was relieved to see that the water was only mid-thigh deep. It was freezing but he had to admit, it felt rather good with the hot sun beating down on them. He called to Donna to join him, and he gave her a hand to make sure she didn’t injure herself.

She cursed under her breath when she fully touched ground – since she was shorter, she had water up to her hips. They immediately started walking against the current, carefully placing their feet so as not to slip or twist an ankle, and a few minutes later they were safe and sound – and wet – on the other side.

Donna sat down on the riverbank in relief while Jack picked the radio again. “Alright, we’re through,” he said, though he knew Carter had been following their process from her side of the river.

The radio crackled. “Good. I’m going upstream to search for a safer spot to cross now.”

“Okay, keep me posted on your progress. Be careful, it looked pretty deep in the middle. Don’t cross until you’re absolutely sure that you can make it.”

“Got it.”

“We’ll see you soon,” Jack replied, reluctant to end the conversation.

“Yes sir. Carter out.”

Sighing to himself, Jack put away his radio again and sat down to put his socks and shoes back on.

“So this is what you and Sam used to do for a living, huh?” Donna asked as she twisted her shirt and pants to rid them of the extra water. “It must have been incredible.”

“Most of the time, it was,” Jack agreed. He turned his head to look at her as he rested his elbows on his knees. “How do you like _your_ work?” he asked conversationally, although he was curious to hear her side of things, given what Carter had told him.

She gave a small shrug, but smiled. “I enjoy the challenge, and considering what we’re working on and where that technology comes from, it’s amazing. And right now – being out here – it feels pretty incredible. Now that we have a potential way back, I can actually appreciate the experience.”

Jack nodded. “Carter said you applied for her position.”

Donna looked down and nodded, shifting from one foot to the other. “Yeah. At first I admit I was angry – but now, after seeing the way the two of you work – I understand why she got it and I didn’t. I mean I realize now that it’s not just about the science. And I’ll never forget that I owe both of you my life, so…” She took a sip of water from the bottle Jack handed her. “She’s sacrificed a lot by taking this job, hasn’t she?”

Jack considered this for a moment. He’d never really looked at it like that, but she was right. Carter _had_ sacrificed a lot – including her chance to lead SG-1. But Jack had the feeling that Donna was talking about something else. About _him_ , actually. And he did _not_ want to go there.

“Well, whatever sacrifice she’s made, I’m sure she’s happy with her decision.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” she said, her gaze sharpening as she studied him.

“No offense, but you barely know her.”

“Maybe so – and sure, it’s hard to tell because she’s always so darn guarded about her feelings. That’s actually hard for me because I’m the opposite – I call it as I see it. But even so, I can say that I’ve actually never seen her happier or more at ease than the way she is here.”

Jack’s first thought was to say ‘and whose fault is that, after all the crap you’ve been given her the last few months?’ but she went on before he had a chance to voice it.

“I mean here in the field. With you.”

Jack’s retort died on his lips as his brain processed this last part. Part of him wanted to deny it: no, their companionship was just habit, falling back into a routine that they had established over years of practice while on SG-1. While another part of him felt a painful hope that maybe what Donna was saying was true, that the comfort they felt around each other meant something beyond field experience. And that she was happier when she was around him. The reverse was certainly true: Jack was definitely much happier when she was around, though that happiness was always tinged with a pang of bitterness. Either way though, it was none of her business, so Jack finally shook himself.

“Enough chatting, let’s check out the structure,” Jack announced as he got to his feet and started walking in the direction of the cliff monument.

“I didn’t mean to offend you or anything, I was just making conversation,” she replied as she followed him.

“Not offended – just want to get this over with. The sooner we find the Stargate, the sooner you get to go home.” _And the sooner I get to come back and get Carter._

They followed the aisle that the stone columns created and which led to the only visible entrance to the structure. As they got closer, Jack noticed that there wasn’t a door or anything, just a wide, rectangular opening. Jack could almost hear Daniel’s voice in his head: ‘the door probably didn’t preserve, even though the climate is relatively arid. That says a lot about how long ago people left this location.’ Jack smiled a little to himself – that kind of explanation would have given him a headache in the early days, but now he found himself missing it. To prolong his amusement, Jack then tried to imagine what T would have said. Probably something about a story that Bra’tac or his father used to tell him about the Ancients and places like these. And Carter, well, she’d have exchanged an amused look with him as Teal’c recounted the story.

After a few minutes they reached the doorway, and Jack grabbed his flashlight to look inside, pulling his 9 mm out of its holster. It was dark inside, but very cool, and Jack didn’t see any sign of life so he cautiously stepped inside and swept the room with his flashlight beam. The room was circular, though not perfectly so, but it was empty aside from a circular arrangement of stone in the middle. Jack recognized this feature from SG-7’s report; the team leader had been at a loss as to its purpose. Jack told Donna not to get too close as they walked past it – Ancient devices had the bad habit of springing up unexpectedly. On the other side of the room was another doorway, so Jack led them through. It turned into a long, rocky tunnel that seemed to go on for a long time.

“Not claustrophobic, are you?” Jack asked quietly, but his voice echoed loudly nonetheless.

“Not usually,” she replied. Her tone made Jack throw her a look over his shoulder – she shrugged, but her eyes were wide and shifty, showing some of her fear.

“You need a moment?” Jack asked. The last thing he needed was a panic attack.

She swallowed and shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Let’s keep going.”

After a few more minutes they reached the end of the tunnel and entered another chamber, smaller than the first one, but circular as well. This one had three different doorways, so Jack stopped.

“Which way?” Donna asked quietly.

“I don’t know.” Using his flashlight, he walked to all three doorways and looked inside, but they all turned into yet more tunnels. “Eeny-meeny-miny-moe?” Jack suggested.

She gave a small smile, but pointed to the middle one. “Let’s try the middle one. It’s in direct line to the entrance – maybe that has significance.”

“Middle it is!”

They started walking again, and as they traveled deeper into the cliff, the air started to change, especially in smell – getting kind of a metallic, damp scent. Jack suddenly stopped when he recognized something else in the air too – a smell he’d encountered just the night before.

“Oh crap,” he whispered, as he recognized the pungent odor of the creatures that had attacked him and Carter the night before. “Let’s go back.”

“What is it?” Donna asked worriedly, recognizing the urgency in Jack’s whispered words, as she turned on her heels and Jack brought up the rear.

“Those things that were stalking you – I think they might live down there.”

“Should we try another doorway?” Donna asked when they got back to the second circular chamber.

Jack rubbed his face. “Let me just think for a second,” Jack replied as he racked his brain to remember any details from SG-7’s report that might help. He didn’t recall anything about creatures inhabiting the chambers, especially not the one housing the Stargate, so could it be that the Stargate was in another direction? Or had the creatures just not been present – or scared away by the ground shaking and inner gate spinning that foregrounded the formation of a wormhole? Whatever it was, they needed more recon.

Giving Donna his 9mm, Jack made sure she knew how to use it as he grabbed his Zat. It had seemed to have more of an effect on the animals than the gun last night. “Okay, you stay here, I’m going to check it out.” He also gave her his cell phone – which he’d been carrying in his vest pocket all this time. “Use this for light, I’ll be right back. Don’t shoot me, but if you hear a purring sound, or smell that skunk-y smell, you’ll know it’s not me, so you run out of here and find shelter, got it?”

Her eyes widened at Jack’s actions and words, but she nodded quickly.

Jack made eye contact, to make sure that she understood, then nodded. “Okay, I’ll be right back.”

Jack once more walked down the tunnel, and when the smell reached him again he slowed down and lowered his flashlight to the ground. He walked like this for a few more minutes, until he reached the end. He paused, hoping to God that the creatures wouldn’t be able to smell him first, and slowly and carefully swept the room with his flashlight, his other index finger on the Zat trigger.

Jack’s first reaction was relief when he saw that the Stargate was indeed in that particular chamber – and there was a DHD nearby. However his heart sank when he spotted an unidentifiable number of creatures sleeping in a pile in the corner to his left. There was no way he would be able to dial Earth without waking them up first.

Retreating back cautiously, Jack slowly made his way back to the chamber where he’d left Hayes. “It’s me,” he said as he approached.

He saw her lower the gun as he stepped out. “Well?” she asked.

“Good news is, the Stargate’s in there. Bad news is, there are a bunch of creatures sleeping in there.”

They considered this for a moment. “Smoke bomb?” Donna suggested.

Jack nodded – this was a good idea, except for the tiny detail that… “We don’t have a smoke bomb.”

Donna pursed her lips. “Maybe I can make one…But I’d need the Zat gun, the generator and a couple of bullets from your handgun.”

The expression on her face reminded him of Carter’s when she suddenly had an idea. “Okay, there MacGyver – do your thing,” Jack agreed.

“Sorry, general, but there’s a downside. We probably won’t be able to use the Zat anymore. Sam said that the guns didn’t seem to faze them yesterday, so we’d be risking losing the Zat for one chance that smoking those guys out will work.”

Jack nodded, appreciating her thoughtfulness about this. But it was probably the best solution – there were probably too many of those things inside the chamber – though it had been hard to count them in the darkness – to zat them all before at least some of them attacked. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

They decided to walk back outside where Donna could see what she was doing, and once settled with what she needed, she quickly got to work.

 

_The water is wide, I can't cross o'er_   
_And neither I have wings to fly_   
_Give me a boat that can carry two_   
_And both shall row - my love and I_

_(Traditional)_


	9. Miles from where you are

_“Telluris Portulae.”_

Ty stared at Daniel for a long moment as his brain tried to process the gibberish that had just come out of the archaeologist’s mouth. When his brain finally realized that Daniel was speaking another language, he burrowed his brows curiously.

“Is that Latin? What does it mean? How did it end up on that alien device?”

“Well, that’s a long story, but loosely translated, it means something like: gates of the land, or entryway to the ground/Earth. ‘Landgates’.”

“Does that help us?”

Daniel bit his cheek as he considered this. “Maybe. Let’s see what the other symbols say.”

Now that they had a system of reference to decipher the symbols, the actual deciphering was progressing much faster – especially as Daniel had some familiarity with this particular language. There was a good story there – why and how he’d come familiar with it in the first place – but Ty refrained from asking. Daniel had been extremely patient with him in answering his questions, and Ty felt like he was on the verge of pushing it too far, of asking one too many questions. So he bit his tongue.

They were suddenly distracted when sirens started going off, startling Ty out of his reverie. “What’s happening?”

Daniel had barely looked up from the book. “Off-world Stargate activation. Someone’s dialed Earth. I’m gonna go check it out – you stay here. I’ll be right back.”

He was gone for twenty minutes or so – which Ty spent trying to keep working on deciphering the symbols, but he wasn’t as good or efficient as Daniel.

When Daniel returned, Ty realized that he was not alone: there was a tall, strongly built man dressed in a beige robe and a golden tattoo on his forehead with him.

“Lieutenant Tyler Cunningham, this is Teal’c,” Daniel introduced and Ty quickly extended his hand for Teal’c to shake. So this was the fourth member of SG-1, Ty thought distractedly as he registered the powerful grip and calm smile.

“O’Neill has spoken highly of you,” Teal’c said in a deep baritone.

“Oh, he has?” Ty asked, genuinely surprised, but also pleased.

“Indeed. We are all in your debt, as your great proficiency has prevented many a complaint, of which we would have been the receiving ear. For that, Daniel Jackson and I are eternally grateful.”

It took Ty a second to realize that Teal’c was teasing him – and O’Neill, much in the same way Daniel had done when Ty had first met him, so he grinned. “Glad to be of help.”

Teal’c turned to Daniel. “How may I be of assistance in locating Colonel Carter and General O’Neill?”

Daniel briefed him on the situation, and soon the three of them returned to the translations.

ooooOoooo

“Okay, I think I’m ready,” Donna said at last.

Jack rose from the rock he’d been sitting on in the shade, and approached her. “You _think_ you’re ready?”

She shrugged a little. “It’s not like I’ve ever done this before.”

“Fair enough.”

They re-entered the structure and made their way to the chamber with the three doors. “Okay, you stay here and get as close as you can to the wall – if all goes well they’ll be scared enough that they won’t stop here, and bolt straight for the main door. If they stop here, you do whatever you need to do, got it?”

She nodded, swallowing as she took her position, flat against the wall, where she would be invisible to anyone coming from the direction of the Stargate unless they turned around. She gave Jack her makeshift smoke bomb and Jack handled it carefully, then started making his way towards the Stargate chamber. Once he was at tossing distance, he carefully tossed the device down the tunnel, angling it so that the smoke and sound would be close to the creatures. And then he ran like hell back to the chamber.

A millisecond later he heard the ‘pop’ and painful animal cries. The smoke actually caught up with him and as soon as he saw the chamber appear ahead he dove to the side next to Hayes and turned off his flashlight.

As they had hoped, they could hear the creatures run around and finally felt more than saw them run past them towards the main entrance of the building. They waited in silence for a couple of minutes, just to make sure that the smoke cleared out, and that the creatures were all out – and weren’t coming back.

“Nice,” Jack said in acknowledgement of Donna’s work. “Let’s go.”

Jack turned on his flashlight again and they started walking. When the reached the Stargate chamber, Jack peered through carefully, but it was clear. The plan had worked. He covered his nose and mouth with his t-shirt so as not to breathe the remaining smoke and Donna imitated him. Without losing a moment, he walked to the DHD and dialed Earth.

He saw Donna take a step backwards when the wormhole kawooshed, but then she looked on at the event horizon, mesmerized. She went to approach the wormhole, but Jack stopped her. “We don’t have a GDO – it’s not safe to go through.”

She looked confused. “Well, then, what do we do now?”

Jack sighed. “Now we wait.”

ooooOoooo

When the sirens went off this time, a disembodied voice accompanied it with a repeating ‘Unauthorized off-world activation’ warning. Both Daniel and Teal’c looked up and exchanged a look. A second later, they both jumped to their feet and Daniel indicated Ty to follow them.

“What’s going on?” Ty asked as the three of them basically ran down the various corridors.

“We’re gonna find out soon enough.”

At some point they took a turn and climbed up a kind of spiraling staircase, which led to a large room with a huge table in the middle. And beyond that was a glass window and…

“Holy shit is that the Stargate?” Ty heard himself say before he could stop the words from coming out the way they did.

“Indeed,” Teal’c replied. Meanwhile, Daniel went to knock on an office in the corner, which Ty recognized as General Landry’s. Ty suddenly realized that he probably wasn’t supposed to be here, so he made himself stand as still and as quiet as possible. A second later, Landry and Daniel joined them again, and they all went down the stairs again. Not quite knowing what to do, Ty followed them.

This time, instead of turning into a corridor, they made their way to another room, which Ty recognized as something of a control room. The Stargate was quite impressive from there, and Ty had to consciously force himself to look away and pay attention to the people in the room.

“Did you get anything from that last activation, Sergeant?” Landry asked a man with very short, greyish hair and glasses, who was sitting at the commands.

“No sir. The gate opened, and it just closed again. Nothing came through – no signal, no matter, nothing.”

“It’s gotta be Jack and Sam!” Daniel exclaimed suddenly and Ty stared at him in surprise – what had made him take that leap? “They don’t have a GDO, they wouldn’t risk going through without one. It’s them, I’m sure of it. They’re letting us know where they are.”

“Excuse me for playing catch-up, here,” Landry replied, “but our computer programs don’t tell us where a dial comes from, correct? So how are we supposed to know where they are?”

“The device! I’ve been translating the inscriptions on it,” Daniel said excitedly, the words getting out of his mouth at an impressive speed, “and I’m pretty sure the Ancients called them 'Landgates' or something to that effect. I think the device sent them back to the planet where it was found, because it has to connect to a similar device! Just like the Stargate needs another Stargate to establish a wormhole.”

“How do you know that it’s what the device does?” Landry asked, a little skeptically.

Daniel closed his eyes in frustration. “I don’t know for sure, I have no way of knowing for sure. But the words for ‘gate’ on the inscriptions were plural, which means there had to be more than one of those landgates on the planet. I think they were designed to travel across a planet’s surface. Kinda like… a teleportation device!”

“That’s kind of a stretch, Dr. Jackson,” Landry replied, echoing Ty’s thoughts.

“Well maybe it is, but don’t we owe it to Sam and Jack and that other scientist to at least send a probe through to P58-X70, just to make sure?”

Landry considered this for a second, then gave a decisive nod. “Alright, have it your way. Sergeant, get Siler to prepare a probe.”

“Thank you,” Daniel said.

Landry nodded, but gave him a skeptical look. “Don’t thank me yet.” And then to Ty’s mortification he turned and stared directly at him.

“Lieutenant Cunningham! Is ignoring an order something you learned from Jack in the short time you’ve worked for him, or is it just coincidence that you share this trait with your boss?”

Crap.

ooooOoooo

“Carter, come in?” Jack spoke into the radio as he paced the chamber unhurriedly. “Colonel Carter, do you read?”

Static.

“Damn it,” Jack cursed to himself.

“We’re probably too deep under the rock,” Donna suggested from where she sat by the DHD.

“Yeah. I know.” They’d been waiting for over half an hour now, and Jack was starting to get antsy. The feeling had only worsened when he realized he couldn’t reach Carter. He wanted to tell her that they’d found the gate, and make sure that she was still okay, but it’d have to wait. He considered making the trek back to the river to get a signal through, but he didn’t want to leave Hayes alone, especially with the threat from the animals still lurking. He’d have to stick to the plan, and return with a raft or something to get her across the river.

“How long do you think we’ll have to wait?” she asked.

Jack shrugged. “It depends who they’ve got working on our case. Hopefully Dr. Yang got some help.”

Now if _Carter_ had been on Earth, she would have figured it out already and probably beat them to this place. How ironic that she was stuck with them on this planet and unable to help save herself. Alternatively, if _Daniel_ got wind of what was going on, he might be trying to help too. The thought cheered Jack up a little, though it was a long shot as Daniel had been busy lately, prepping for his requested reassignment to Atlantis.

Jack startled out of his thoughts when the chevrons on the Stargate started glowing, and the inner ring started spinning. “Finally!” He moved out of the way of the wormhole and raised his gun – just in case. A second later, a MALP slowly rolled from the event horizon and Jack walked up to it.

“Took you long enough!” Jack spoke into the camera. Donna quickly came to join him.

“You’re welcome Jack,” a voice retorted drily through the camera, and Jack smiled inwardly as he recognized it as Daniel’s. “Are you guys okay? Where’s Sam?”

“She’s okay, but she was in no condition to make the trek to the gate, she hurt her knee or something. I’m gonna go back for her as soon as I’ve brought Dr. Hayes here back home.”

“Oh yes, of course.” Jack heard some unclear words being spoken and assumed Daniel was talking with somebody else in the room. “We’re shutting the gate now. We’ll see you in a bit.”

“Be advised that we don’t have a GDO, so… you know, make sure the iris is open.”

“Yeah we got that, Jack, don’t worry. You’re all clear.”

The gate shut down and Jack returned to the DHD to punch in the address. When the wormhole established this time, he gestured Donna to go ahead of him and he manually controlled the MALP to return with them.

The ride through the wormhole was as disconcerting as Jack remembered it, but he was still smiling slightly when he walked down the ramp in the gate room. Hank, Daniel, Teal’c and… _Ty Cunningham_? were waiting for them at the base of the ramp. He threw a questioning glance at the lieutenant, but the young man merely shrugged, as if to say ‘It’s a long story.’

Jack shook hands with Hank.

“Well Jack, what the hell did you get yourself into this time?” Landry asked as Jack patted Daniel and Teal’c on the back and they all started walking towards the briefing room.

“I was on my way to the cabin for a vacation, you know! It’s Carter’s fault – she’s the one who spirited me away,” Jack replied petulantly, but then turned serious again. “I need to go back for her, Hank.”

“I need you to tell me more before I let you go back, you know that. I need to be able to make a risk assessment.”

Jack was tempted to reply something of the order of ‘to hell with the assessment’, but contained his frustration and nodded. He knew Hank was just following protocol. Hammond, or Jack himself for that matter, probably would have done the same thing.

As they made their way up the stairs he introduced Donna to the rest of the team, then they all settled down at the briefing table. At Landry’s request, Donna started the tale by telling them about the device, and how she’d been sent to the other planet when she’d inadvertently activated it. Then Jack told them how he, Carter and Yang had been trying to figure out how the device worked to retrieve Dr. Hayes when they had been pulled through as well. He told them about the creatures that had attacked them, Carter’s injury, and what they needed in order to safely retrieve Carter from the planet. To Jack’s growing surprise, Daniel then told them how Cunningham had called him to look into this – by General Hammond’s order. Daniel had gotten in touch with Teal’c to keep him apprised of the situation, and eventually Teal’c returned to the SGC to help as well. The three of them had been able to translate some of the writings on the device, so that when Jack and Donna had dialed in, Daniel had figured it was them trying to get home.

Now that everyone was briefed, Jack once again made the request to return to the planet, especially as Jack knew that they would be cutting it close to nightfall on P58 X70. He didn’t want Carter to spend another night – especially not alone and injured – on that planet with those creatures lurking around.

“Request granted, but you should take some back-up.”

“I will accompany you, O’Neill,” Teal’c stated calmly.

“I’m coming too,” Daniel chimed in. “And I might be able to better understand the device if I see the context where it came from.”

“I’m going too,” Donna added, but Landry shook his head.

“No doctor, you’ve already spent enough time on that planet, you deserve to take it easy for the next few days. After you’ve reported to the infirmary, we will arrange for your return to Nevada when you’re ready.” She nodded her thanks.

Then all gazes turned to Lieutenant Cunningham, the only one present at the table who hadn’t said anything yet.

He took a second to realize that all gazes were on him, expectantly waiting for him to say something. “Oh- what, me? Am I allowed to go? I didn’t think I was. But if I am, I’m all in.”

Jack nodded his ‘fine by me’ in response to Landry’s glance. The risks were small enough that Jack was willing to have someone without formal SGC training accompany them. They’d taken greener officers to fight the Goa’ulds over the years, and honestly he was curious to see how the young man would conduct himself off-world. “Alright, Lieutenant. Daniel will show you where to gear up,” Landry said.

Hank dismissed them and Donna quickly walked up to Jack before he left to change and get ready.

“Just wanted to say, good luck. I truly wish I were going back with you.”

Jack shook his head. “Landry’s right. You did good out there, but you deserve a break. I’ll make sure to tell Carter she owes you some vacation time.”

“She could probably use some herself after this.”

Jack nodded, his mind wandering with scenarios of what Carter would do with some vacation time. Maybe she’d join him at the cabin? He didn’t dare hope. “Take care of yourself, Doctor.”

“You too. And thanks. For bringing me back home.”

“You bet.”

As he walked away, Jack was left with the overall impression that Carter had won over Hayes after all, if only through her professionalism and selflessness, and Jack couldn’t help the pride from suffusing a warm feeling inside his chest. Hopefully their working relationship would be better now, and Carter _would_ be happy about her decision to leave the SGC. This reassured him. Even if nothing panned out from the conversation they’d agreed on having, at least Jack would be satisfied that she was happy. That was all that mattered.

Jack took Teal’c with him to the armory first, to fill up on Zats and whatever else Jack could think they might need to fend off those creatures without necessarily fatally wounding them, then they hit the infirmary. He got some actual crutches for Carter, ibuprofen and whatever else he could think of that she might need for a knee injury. While he was down there he also had an orderly examine and redress the scratch on the back of his neck and upper back – just to be on the safe side. Carter was great at a lot of things, but medical stuff was not one of them!

He had Teal’c carry the compact inflatable raft they’d use to cross the river there and back, and two retractable paddles. A motor craft would have been better against the current, but would be too heavy to carry. Especially with all the tunnels they’d have to navigate, which were also too narrow to allow a MALP with equipment through. They grabbed night goggles, more ropes, and finally Jack felt like he was properly equipped to go back.

They all met in the gateroom a couple of minutes before embarkation time.

Jack walked to Cunningham, who was fully dressed in the latest SGC fashion. The young man looked either very calm, or about to puke his guts out. Jack stood next to him in silence for a bit, as both of them stared ahead at the inactive Stargate.

“Daniel said you were a great help, and that you really took charge, trying to find a way to bring us back. Thanks,” Jack said.

He saw Cunningham smile a little from the corner of his eye. “No need to thank me, sir. I was actually just following General Hammond’s order. I mean I’m glad it worked out.” He let out a brief chuckle. “To be honest I had no idea what I was getting myself into.” He paused for a moment. “What does it feel like? Going through the Stargate?”

Jack threw him a look, amused by the change of topic. “It’s a piece of cake. You’re gonna love it.”

“Yes, sir,” he replied dutifully, though he looked far from convinced.

Jack turned his attention back to Teal’c and Daniel, and was surprised to find Teal’c smiling. “What?”

“I am merely glad to be once more in the company of my brothers,” he said, and Jack nodded, more touched than he was willing to admit. He squeezed Teal’c’s shoulder, while Daniel grinned.

“I have to admit, I didn’t think we’d ever go through the Stargate together again. Once we get Sam it’ll be just like old times.”

As a way to deflect attention from his own nostalgic emotions, Jack was about to tease Daniel for getting all mushy as he grew older, but before he could open his mouth, the gate started spinning. Once the wormhole connected, they all put on their night goggles, and Jack sent Teal’c, Daniel and Cunningham ahead of him. He turned to wave to Landry, who gave a nod in response.

Once on the other side, Jack was relieved to see that the gate chamber was still deserted of the creatures. But then again, they appeared to be nocturnal, so it didn’t mean that they wouldn’t come back to sleep in here when day broke.

Jack was eager to make contact with Carter, so he didn’t linger as he led the rest of the team through the tunnels and chambers, until, finally, they reached the open. It wasn’t completely dark yet, but the sun was no longer visible from the canyon. It wouldn’t be long now. While Daniel would have normally urged Jack to slow down so he could look at the remains of the Ancient structure, he seemed to understand Jack’s urgency and kept his amazement for archaeological wonders to himself.

Jack immediately reached for his radio when they stepped out and started making for the river. “Carter, come in?”

Static.

Jack felt a panicking feeling constrict his stomach but forced himself to ignore it. “Carter, do you read?” he tried again.

After an interminable second, the radio crackled to life. “I read you, sir. It’s good to hear from you.”

Jack blew out a relieved sigh. “Where are you?”

“Back at the campsite. I couldn’t find anywhere else to cross within the range of the radios. How did it go on your end?”

“We made it to Earth. Donna’s safe and sound back at the SGC. I brought the cavalry,” Jack added with a smile.

“Hi Sam!” “Colonel Carter,” Daniel and Teal’c said respectively into Jack’s radio.

There was a second of silence. “Was that Daniel and Teal’c?” She asked incredulously and Jack could almost hear in her voice how wide her grin had gotten. “That’s quite the power team you’ve got there, sir. Can’t wait to see you guys!”

“Sit tight, we’ll be there in about a couple of hours.”

“Understood.”

ooooOoooo

_I'm miles from where you are  
_

_I lay down on the cold ground_

_I pray that something picks me up_

_And sets me down in your warm arms_

_~ Set fire to the Third Bar – Snow Patrol_


	10. Fearless

Ty was excitedly taking everything in. He could still hardly believe that he was here, on another planet. There was a huge, Saturn-looking planet in the sky that gave off a moon-like glow – which only added to how extraordinary this all seemed. Ty couldn’t stop glancing up at it whenever it appeared in the corner of his eye.

The ride through the Stargate had been – well, an experience – but what struck him now was how just downright lucky he felt to be part of this mission. And it _had_ been dumb luck too: luck that he’d witnessed O’Neill being beamed to a spaceship (!), luck that he’d returned to work at night only to find General Hammond in his office in need of assistance, luck that Daniel had requested his presence at the SGC, luck that O’Neill gave out clearance levels so casually, and luck that Daniel and Teal’c had stood by him when General Landry had found him in the control room – where he most definitely had no business to be.

But Daniel and Teal’c somehow managed to take responsibility for his presence there, and convinced the general that, with all the work Ty had put into finding “Jack and Sam,” he had every right to be there and see this mission through. So Landry had let it go – and in fact the whole thing had seemed to amuse him, in a wry sort of way.

So now Ty was here, partaking in a mission with, he now realized, very important people. People who had saved Earth – heck, the freaking _galaxy_ – on multiple occasions. It was exciting and humbling at once.

The former SG-1 members walked in silence as they followed O’Neill towards the river. O’Neill appeared tense and brisk, even to Ty’s untrained eye, and the other two seemed to act off of his mood. Glancing at O’Neill now, looking perfectly at home in SGC fatigues and his fingers holding a P-90 like professional baseball players hold a bat – as if it belongs there – Ty could finally reconcile the man he’d worked under at the Pentagon with the man who had led the legendary SG-1 through countless missions to other planets. It was easy to see how at ease he was here – he was a man of action. It made Ty wonder what had made him leave this life of adventure for the Pentagon, where honestly he seemed bored out of his mind most of the time.

By the time they reached the river, it was almost completely dark, and Ty put his night goggle back on, while tightening his grasp on his weapon uneasily – a device Teal’c had called a “Zat” – since O’Neill had warned them about the nocturnal creatures that lived in these parts.

“Let’s get that raft ready,” O’Neill ordered as they stopped by the water. It took only a moment for the raft to inflate, then O’Neill gestured Ty to get in. Daniel followed him, then O’Neill and Teal’c gave a push before jumping in one after the other.

“How did you get across the river earlier?” Daniel asked as O’Neill and Teal’c started paddling, sometimes planting their paddle down into the rocky river bottom to stop them from drifting with the current.

“We used the broken pillars,” he indicated with a move of his head to dark stone columns that Ty could just about make out with the goggles, “we hopped across. Which is why Carter wasn’t able to do it, not with her injury anyway.”

“Yes, how serious is her injury?”

“Not sure. She was able to walk on it – kinda. It’s hard to tell with her.”

“Well I’m sure she’s fine,” Daniel replied in a reassuring tone.

“Yeah.” O’Neill let out a soft sigh. So soft in fact, that Ty heard it only because he was sitting right next to him. Ty thought to himself that this Carter person must be quite remarkable for O’Neill to feel such concern, and for both Daniel and Teal’c to just drop what they were doing in order to join the rescue mission.

After a few minutes of Teal’c and O’Neill maneuvering the craft across the river, they reached the other side. They had drifted a little in the opposite direction O’Neill had said Colonel Carter was located, but Ty figured it could have been worst. They jumped out, and Daniel and Teal’c pulled the raft further out of the water while O’Neill collected the paddles and set them aside.

“Let’s go,” he ordered. “Stay vigilant – from my experience, those creatures are rather stealthy. Keep your eyes and ears open. And nose too, I guess. Chances are you’ll smell them before you see them.”

Ty shifted uneasily but nodded as he fell in step with Teal’c.

“You realize you can’t consciously keep your nose open, right?” Daniel drawled teasingly.

O’Neill sent him a look. “Have I ever told you you’re very annoying sometimes?”

Daniel grinned. “Yes, you have. Quite often, actually.”

“Well I still mean it.”

Ty stifled a smile as Daniel and Teal’c exchanged a grin. Then they fell silent once again, and Ty forced himself to focus on his surroundings. The goggles were great to see in the dark, but Ty wished he could see this place in daylight, especially with the glimpse he’d gotten of the structure carved into the cliff. It all appeared pretty amazing.

They walked along the river for a while, and later, along a slightly wooded area that directly flanked the river.

They’d walked like this for over an hour when a popping sound in the distance suddenly made them all stop in their tracks.

“Was that…?” Daniel started.

“Gun shot,” O’Neill replied agitatedly. “Damn it.”

The sound popped again, and again, and O’Neill started jogging. Ty had no doubt that if they’d been closer to where the sound had originated, O’Neill would have darted at full speed. But as it were, they had to pace themselves. Ty followed easily, especially with the adrenaline pumping in his veins, but thank goodness he had the good sense to jog and cycle a few times a week.

“Sir, I have multiple creatures closing in on my position, I repeat, I am under attack,” Carter’s voice said through O’Neill’s radio.

“We read you, Carter, we’re almost there. Can you defend the position?” O’Neill managed to ask as they ran.

There was a bit of static, and then: “Yes, sir, but I’m not sure for how long.”

“Just hang on,” O’Neill replied, not even trying to mask the urgency in his voice.

As they ran closer to their destination, the popping sounds continued sporadically, and at some point they saw a flare speed through and burn in the night sky. They weren’t very far now, and Ty could hear a new sound, which more or less fit with the sound he assumed the Zats would make. Suddenly O’Neill veered into the wooded area and Ty followed. He thought he could see a fire in the distance, and some bursts of energy coming from that same area.

And then he smelled it. The smell O’Neill had tried to describe before. But how close were the creatures?

“Lieutenant, watch out!” Teal’c’s voice said before Ty was powerfully tackled to the ground. He realized with relief that it was Teal’c who had pushed him out of the way, and not a rabid-looking animal trying to eat his face off.

One of the animals at least was there though, he could now hear _and_ smell it, but his night goggles had gone askew with the fall and he couldn’t see anything. Teal’c quickly moved off him and Ty fixed his goggles. Immediately he saw that three creatures had followed them into the tree line, and Daniel and Teal’c were trying to scare them off with their respective weapons. Next to him, O’Neill was shooting above the creatures with his P90, until Teal’c said:

“O’Neill, we will take care of these, render assistance to Samantha Carter!”

Jack grabbed Ty by the vest collar and yanked him to his feet, and they started running again. They could still hear the zatting sounds coming from the area of the campfire, though now they could also hear those coming from Daniel and Teal’c. The latter also had a staff weapon of some sort, which exploded some of the tree trunks and branches as he tried to scare the animals away. He knew O’Neill had ordered not to kill unless it was necessary, but Ty felt like it was cutting it rather close.

They ran through the trees for a few minutes – though it might have been just a few seconds in reality – and Ty did his best to keep up with O’Neill as he dodged trees, jumped over roots and avoided holes in the ground.

Finally they came in view of the campsite – which was surrounded by a number of huge stones. The first thing Ty saw was that there were five or six creatures prowling near the fire, then a Zat ray was fired, and, following it, he saw Colonel Carter standing awkwardly on one of the stones, trying to fend off any of the animals that came too close. The Zats didn’t seem to have the desired effect though – Teal’c had told him that one shot would stun and the second would kill, but these creatures appeared to be almost oblivious to the rays that hit them. It made them stagger back for a second, but they soon bounced back.

While Ty stopped in his tracks to assess the situation, O’Neill did not hesitate before running ahead, this time using his P-90. Meanwhile, seeing an opening from the distraction O’Neill was causing, Carter got down from the stone and grabbed something from her bag, then tossed whatever it was into the fire. It created a brief but impressive explosion. That, along with the P-90 bullets (that failed to penetrate the animals’ skin but still appeared to cause them pain) finally caused the creatures to give up, and they ran away. O'Neill and Carter stood still for a long moment, making sure that none of the creatures were returning.

Shaking himself into motion, Ty started making his way to join O’Neill and Carter, but suddenly paused when he saw O’Neill move. The general turned his head in Colonel Carter’s direction, making their gazes lock, before he started moving, resolutely making his way to her, removing his night goggles and carelessly dropping them to the ground as he advanced steadily, and stopping only when he was right in front of her. In one fluid move, his hands cupped her face and he leaned down to kiss her. While Carter seemed surprised for the first millisecond, it wasn’t long before she stepped closer and returned his kiss.

Ty wanted to look away, but by some voyeuristic impulse he found he couldn’t. There was something so…deep and desperate and relieved in their embrace, and Ty actually felt a little envious. Though he’d often thought himself in love, he’d never felt the kinds of deep emotions that emanated from O’Neill and Carter at that moment.

After a moment they separated, though O’Neill’s fingers lingered on her cheeks, and they exchanged a few, quiet words before O’Neill pulled her to him in a powerful, relief-laden hug. They parted again after a long moment, not before sharing a brief squeeze of hands, and Colonel Carter set about to assess the damage around the campsite.

Now that their moment was over, Ty decided to join them. That’s when he saw a number of those creatures lying still by the fire. Evidently Colonel Carter had been forced, and managed, to kill some of them. They were much bigger up close then they’d looked from the distance and Ty shuddered. While O’Neill and Carter had fended those creatures off through some pretty heroic actions, Ty had been rooted to the spot and unable to move. Way to pay off SG-1’s confidence in his abilities, he thought with self-annoyance.

“Cunningham, give Carter a hand, will you? I’m gonna check up on Teal’c and Daniel,” O’Neill ordered more than asked as he grabbed his radio to contact Daniel and Teal’c, and Ty nodded.

Colonel Carter had been following O’Neill with her eyes for a second – the glint in them betraying a mix of astonishment and delight – but her head snapped in Ty’s direction as the general said the words. She seemed surprised to find him there, but she smiled anyway.

Ty immediately liked her. She was tall and had beautiful features, but it was the kindness, strength and intelligence emanating from her that Ty immediately admired. Her smile was curious and soft as she extended her hand for him to shake. After what she’d been through, Ty was amazed to find her hand warm and unshaking. Much unlike his, which was ashamedly clammy from the stress. He tried to wipe it against his thigh.

“Lieutenant, it’s a pleasure, I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said with a twinkle in her eyes that the flames from the fire seemed to amplify.

“Likewise, Colonel,” Ty replied.

Then, as if realizing something, her expression suddenly turned self-conscious.

“Lieutenant, did you-” she stopped herself with a wince, before trying again. “I mean, if you saw… anything, that-”

Recognizing what she was trying to say through her stammering, Ty was quick to reassure her. “I didn’t see anything that would require reporting, or repeating, Ma’am,” he told her as honestly as he could muster. Then he shrugged. “I mean aside from your and General O’Neill’s bravery just then.”

She held his gaze for a moment, understanding from his words that he was admitting to seeing their embrace while reassuring her that he wouldn’t breathe a word of it, and she then nodded with a small, grateful smile. “Thank you.”

Ty nodded and focused on his task, gathering some of the cooking stuff Carter had obviously been in the middle of using when the creatures had attacked her.

ooooOoooo

When Jack reached Teal’c and Daniel’s position, the two men were walking quietly – though still vigilantly – towards him. Apparently they had taken care of their attackers – one way or another.

“You two okay?” Jack asked as he met up with them.

“We are unharmed, O’Neill,” Teal’c assured.

“Sam and Ty?” Daniel asked.

“They’re fine too – back at the camp.”

“I gotta say, I don’t think I’ve ever seen animals with skin that thick before,” Daniel said, “it was like body armor. I wonder…” But Jack soon zoned out the rest of Daniel’s words as his mind wandered back to what had just happened with Carter.

Holy crap.

He’d _kissed_ her.

The mix of relief and fear he had felt when he had found her alive but struggling for her life! And then, once she was safe, he had stopped thinking and done the thing he had dreamed of doing so many times in the past he had lost count: he’d just walked up to her, cupped her cheeks, and leaned down to kiss her. And while she’d been surprised by Jack’s actions at first, she had returned his kiss. Wholeheartedly.

Jack’s mind and body were still reeling from it – the softness of her lips against his as they eventually turned demanding, the electrifying feel of her tongue as it touched his, the warmth of her cheeks under his fingers, and the way her fingers had dug into his upper arm. No matter how often he had dreamed or fantasized about kissing Samantha Carter, it all paled in comparison to the real thing – including the one kiss they had truly ever shared (that is to say, without the excuse of a virus, or alternate reality, or whatever else), which he had stolen when stuck in the loop of hell, and of which she had no memory.

That said, though, he still wasn’t sure what had gotten over him just then – after all, he’d felt that kind of fear and relief before. But their situation was different, now. Jack was no longer her immediate superior officer, and they had agreed to have The Conversation.

Jack bit his lips to refrain from smiling as his hope and happiness threatened to bubble to the surface of his usually well-protected emotions. He could still see the twinkle in her eyes as they’d pulled back but still stood with their heads close together. Jack had said something – some stupid joke about the efficiency of DEET as a comment on her using the bug spray canister to create the explosion by tossing it in the fire. He couldn’t recall his exact words, but he could definitely remember her happy chuckle and the softness and warmth of her cheeks underneath his fingers.

Jack physically shook himself, forcing himself to refocus his attention to his surroundings. While they’d scared the creatures away, there was no telling whether they would come back or not.

“They appear to attack only when the odds are in their favor,” Teal’c was saying, echoing Jack’s train of thought.

“Are you suggesting they know how to count?” Daniel asked with a mix of fear and amazement.

“That is impossible to determine Daniel Jackson, but from O’Neill’s accounts, it does appear as though they charge only when their numbers near or exceed that of their prey. I believe, once we are all together once more, the creatures will not risk attacking again.”

“Well, also because we just scared the crap out of them,” Jack interjected. “The combined power of the P-90, Zats, Staff and Carter’s makeshift explosive, I’d say we’re going to be okay for a while.”

“I hope you’re right,” Daniel replied.

It wasn’t long before they rejoined the others, and Jack couldn’t stop himself from sending Carter a sidelong look. As if feeling it on her face, she met his gaze and gave a small, nodding smile, before she turned her attention to Daniel and Teal’c. She grinned when she saw them and limped ahead to meet them halfway, giving each of them a hug.

Meanwhile, Jack retrieved the crutches he’d brought from where they were strapped to Daniel’s bag, and handed them to her.

She gave him a grateful smile and Jack nodded in acknowledgement.

“So what now?” Daniel asked.

Jack considered this for a moment. Honestly, his whole attention had been focused on getting to Carter, not necessarily on what would happen afterward, and Landry had not given them a particular deadline, trusting that Jack would know what was best under the circumstances. But now that Daniel asked, Jack had to consider his options. It would probably be safer to wait for dawn, but at the same time, Carter had been here long enough and Jack didn’t want to risk aggravating her injury by waiting. There was also the possibility of encountering more creatures in the Stargate chamber during the day – since some of them apparently liked to sleep the day away in the coolness and darkness of the cliff structure.

Jack finally made his decision. “Let’s go back now. I’d rather travel while it’s nice and cool, and not wait and find out whether those things will come back.” He fished the extra pair of night goggles from his bag and handed them to Carter.

They all nodded their acknowledgement of his decision, then started moving around, packing up the campsite. Ty and Teal’c extinguished the fire, while Daniel helped Carter with her bag and Jack picked up the night goggles he’d dropped to the ground earlier.

_Before he’d kissed Carter_.

The wonder would probably never stop.

It wasn’t long before they were ready to go, so Jack had them walk in a diamond formation with Carter in the middle. That way she would be protected while walking with the crutches and would not have to worry about holding a weapon. They walked mostly in silence, senses alert to any sudden movement or sound.

While Jack was still running on adrenaline and the exciting developments with Carter, the lack of restful sleep the last few nights soon started to catch up with him. He thought he could see a similar weariness in Carter’s gait, and Jack once again felt the need to do something for her. Though at this point there wasn’t much he could offer, except maybe ensuring an uneventful return home.

After what felt like an eternity (why did the same trek always feel longer the second time around?) they finally reached the raft where they’d left it. Teal’c helped Carter in first, then the rest of them got in, and Jack and Teal’c took up the paddles again. Under other circumstances, Jack might have enjoyed the free whitewater rafting opportunity, but as it were, he was just eager to get to the other side, and to the SGC.

Once on the other side, they had to wait a moment while Daniel and Teal’c took charge of deflating the raft.

“Sir,” Cunningham suddenly started from beside him, startling Jack out of his thoughts. “About what happened earlier.”

Jack frowned, as he threw a concerned look at Carter. Jack had completely forgot that Cunningham had been running with him, when he… well. “Lieutenant?”

“I mean I just _stood_ there – Colonel Carter was fighting for her life, you jumped in without hesitation, and I… Just stood there. I’m sorry, sir.”

Realizing that this wasn't about what happened with Carter, Jack let out a relieved sigh. “You did fine, Lieutenant.”

Cunningham shook his head ashamedly. “Why did you let me come, sir? I’m a desk clerk. I have no proper training for this kind of stuff aside from the academy and my annual review training.”

Jack considered it for a moment. He had seen the potential in Cunningham almost from the first day, and he’d wanted to give him a chance to experience something else. Something far more exciting than waiting on a bunch of grumpy old generals on their way to retirement. “Tell me something, Lieutenant. Are you happy with your job at the Pentagon? Honestly. Off the record.”

He gave a shrug. “I used to be. I know it’s self-serving, but I used to like being among the people who made decisions. I guess it gave a sense of duty, and it made me feel important.” He sighed. “I know it’s stupid. It certainly feels stupid to me now.”

“So how do you feel about the work, now?”

“Now it just feels like a pile of bureaucratic crap. Sir. No offense.”

“And _this_ is why I let you come, Lieutenant.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

“I wanted you to experience _this_ ,” Jack said, gesturing vaguely to his surroundings. “You’re a bright guy, and you shouldn’t stick with a desk job unless that’s what you want. I guess I wanted to show that you have other options.”

Cunningham stood silently for a moment. “Sir, are you suggesting I get reassigned to Stargate Command?”

Jack shrugged, but before he could answer, Daniel and Teal’c announced that they were ready to go.

“We’ll finish this later,” he told Cunningham who nodded quietly. They started moving, and Jack watched as Daniel easily started a conversation with the lieutenant as they walked. Jack removed his goggles in order to rub his eyes against the sting from the sudden tiredness that assaulted him, and turned on his flashlight instead.

Carter fell in step with him, smiling. Jack found himself glad that she was also taking a break from the goggles, wearing them on her forehead instead – it allowed him to take in her features, especially her eyes, even in the dim light of his flashlight and the glow from the giant planet over head.

“That was nice of you,” she said as she gave a pointed look in the direction of Cunningham’s back. “He does seem to have potential. I can see him making a great addition to the Stargate program eventually.”

“He’d have to go through the training first, but I agree. Well, if that’s what he wants to do, of course.”

“Are you kidding? I think he would have kissed you just now, if you two hadn’t been wearing those goggles,” she grinned.

Jack turned his head to gaze at her, trying to read her expression in the almost total darkness. “Speaking of which…” he started uneasily, “you’re okay with… what happened, right?”

Her grin eased into a gentle smile as she turned her head to look at him. Jack felt his insides melt just a little more. “You really have to ask?” She whispered in a soft, intimate tone that sent shivers down his spine. “Yes, more than okay.”

Jack returned her smile. “Good.”

“He saw us, you know? Lieutenant Cunningham.”

Oh crap. “He did? Of course he did. He was right there beside me when we came into view of the campsite. I’m ashamed to say, I kind of forgot about him at the time.” It was actually a mistake a man of Jack's experience rarely made, and he had to kick himself. Jack's oversight could have been very costly: aside from Cunningham witnessing their kiss, his distraction could have endangered the lieutenant as well. Thank God, nothing had happened to him. Jack was suddenly reminded of why he'd always agreed with – and stuck to – the regs. He and Carter weren't even involved yet, and he had almost lost it.

“I don’t think he’s going to say anything," Carter went on, oblivious to Jack's inner reprimanding. "He made it clear to me that he had no intention of reporting or repeating what he saw. I guess time will tell if he’ll live up to that promise, but for now I trust him. Besides, I mean technically we didn’t do anything wrong, right? At worst we could be accused of acting unprofessionally, maybe…”

Jack smiled as he relaxed a little, drawing from her own lightheartedness. He'd have time to beat himself up later. “That would make one _serious_ black mark on your otherwise perfect record,” Jack teased, feigning horror at the thought. “Mine, on the other hand, would just get another entry added to an already long list of infractions.”

She snorted, and after a moment Jack sobered a little. “At this point I don’t really care about what happens to me, but I would never risk your prospects. Which is why I never… you know… acted on my feelings. Because I didn’t want to put you in the awkward position of having to make a decision.”

Instead of picking up on his main point – that he didn’t want to do anything to truly jeopardize her career – Carter threw him a small, wondering smile. “Feelings, huh?”

Jack gave a self-conscious shrug. “I think you know that I’ve been _feeling feelings_ for you for a very long time, now.”

Her smiling expression suddenly turned into a frown. What had he done? “Yeah,” she said as she exhaled slowly, as if breathing out the word was painful.

“Carter, what-” Jack started, a little confused by her reaction. Was it because of Kerry? Did she doubt that his feelings for her had never wavered for as long as he could remember feeling them?

“Let’s talk about this later, okay?” she suggested.

“Oh. Okay,” Jack agreed a little uneasily.

She gave him a grateful smile, which reassured him a little, before she picked up her pace and walked ahead of him.

Jack didn’t have to wonder about what had just happened for too long. They soon reached the cliff structure entryway, and stepped into the first chamber. Jack had them resume in a single line, mostly because that’s all the narrow tunnels would actually allow. Jack asked them to stay sharp as he told them about finding the creatures asleep in the gateroom earlier.

Luckily they made it to the Stargate without incident, and Daniel went to dial, almost automatically. Jack realized that _this_ was most likely the last time they’d travel together through the Stargate together, and a wave of nostalgia constricted his chest. He wanted to push it away, but something made him change his mind. Before Daniel pressed the middle part of the DHD to activate the Stargate, Jack paused him with a hand on his arm. “I know I usually shy away from clichés such as what I’m about to say, but… It occurs to me that we probably won’t get another chance like this for a while, so let me just say: it’s been a privilege.”

Luckily most of his teammates were wearing goggles so Jack couldn’t see their expressions, but when he turned to Carter, he saw her eyes were glistening suspiciously, which only heightened his sense that this was the end of…something. He’d known that his gate travel days were over for a long time now, ever since he’d become head of the base the previous year, but for some reason, this moment, right there, really brought it home.

Teal’c squeezed Jack’s shoulder and gave a grave nod, and Daniel eventually gave a small smile. “Likewise.”

When Daniel returned to the DHD, Carter slipped her hand in Jack’s. He threw her a quick look and she gave a small nod, squeezing her hand, and he returned the gesture.

“Ah guys, something’s wrong with the DHD,” Daniel suddenly announced, breaking the moment.

Jack’s head snapped in his direction. “What?!?”

When he took a step towards Daniel, the archaeologist merely threw him a grin. “Just kidding! Just a joke! Sorry," he chuckled as Jack raised his hand as if about to strangle him. Oh that little…! “It was too good to pass.” Jack redirected his hand to squeeze Daniel’s shoulder instead, acknowledging that he’d had him.

And then Daniel pressed the central piece of the DHD, and the Stargate wooshed open.

ooooOoooo

 

_There's something that I never told_  
When I find myself slipping off of my pedestal  
I'm a fierce believer afraid to fall.

_But if I was fearless ..._  
Could I be your reckless friend  
And if I was helpless ...  
Could you be the one comes rushing in

_~ Fearless – Cyndi Lauper_


	11. Forget what we're told before we get too old

Once at the SGC, everything happened in kind of a blur. Carter was ushered to the infirmary, and while Jack urged to follow her, he was kept from doing so by Landry, who’d come to greet them at the base of the ramp.

“Welcome back, team,” the general greeted with a grin. Jack was constantly impressed with the man’s ability to make everything sound sardonic. While Jack considered himself as rather proficient with the use of sarcasm, Landry took this talent to a whole new level. “I see that your mission was successful?” The general added as he followed Carter’s medical escort with his eyes as they all exited the gateroom. Jack saw Carter throw him a look over her shoulder just before she disappeared around the corner. Jack took it as some form of acknowledgement, though of what he couldn’t quite tell.

“Yes it was. We encountered more of these creatures I told you about, but we're all in one piece,” Jack replied.

Landry nodded, then turned to the rest of the team. “Alright, why don’t you all debrief me while Colonel Carter is taken care of?”

Jack did as he was asked, though all through the briefing he couldn’t keep his mind from wandering to the infirmary – wondering how Carter was doing, and hoping that her injury wasn’t serious. Her dismayed expression as he’d made the reference to ‘feeling feelings’ haunted him too – he had been trying to make light of his feelings, not upset her with the reference to the whole mind-stamping experience. Which admittedly had been rather traumatic, even for him.

Well, hopefully they’d get the opportunity to clear up some stuff soon. After the kiss they’d shared, Jack didn’t want to risk anything else coming between them. Theirs was a long story of denial, bittersweet moments, and heart-wrenching sacrifices – no doubt about that – but Jack truly believed that they could get past all that. If only they gave it a chance.

Fortunately, the briefing didn’t tarry. However Landry requested that Jack follow him into his office for a bit afterwards. As he took in the piles of unpacked boxes scattered all over, Jack smirked. “Love what you’ve done with the place.” It earned him a snorting chuckle.

“Between the wounded from Atlantis, your escapades with Colonel Carter, and the daily runnings of the this place, I haven’t had much time to unpack. But anyways, I didn’t ask you here to complain about my schedule.”

Landry updated him on Donna Hayes: when her physical hadn’t turned out any serious injury or condition, Landry had arranged a flight for her return to Nevada. Though he didn’t say it out loud, Jack was curious to see how it would go with Carter now that they’d been through this together. The little time Jack had spent with her on the planet had made him realize that her attitude had been just that – an attitude. Jack liked to think of himself as a good judge of character, and he didn’t believe her to be fundamentally mean-spirited, just a little too blunt for her own good. Hopefully things would improve now.

“With your permission, I’ll arrange sleeping quarters for Lieutenant Cunningham for the night,” Hank continued, “and send him back to D.C. in the morning.”

“Oh, that reminds me… I’ve sort of offered him to get reassigned to the SGC if he wanted,” Jack admitted.

Landry nodded slowly, though he didn’t seem surprised. “Figures. He strikes me as someone you would like. Someone who takes a lot after you, actually.”

Jack was genuinely surprised by this analysis. “Really? But whatever – if he decides to give it a shot, he’ll have to go through training, of course. And then it’ll be up to you.”

“Thanks for the heads-up.” Hank rose to his feet with a weary sigh. “Now how about we call it a night? I’m assuming you’ll be leaving in the morning? I’ll make sure you get sleeping quarters as well.”

“Thanks, but I still have my house, remember?” Jack was planning on leasing it out soon, but he still needed to clear out some stuff. “I’m gonna head over there and come back in the morning. Anyway, thanks, for everything,” Jack added as he extended his hand.

Landry shook it.

“By the way," the general paused their hands, "are you _sure_ you don’t have the key to this desk? Or are you just messing with me?”

Jack gave a lopsided grin. “Alright, I’ll tell you the truth,” he paused for effect, “I never had one.”

ooooOoooo

After his conversation with Landry, Jack decided to shower and change before making his way to the infirmary.

To his surprise, Carter wasn’t there anymore, and the orderly told him she’d been discharged about half an hour ago, but didn’t know where she’d gone. Since she didn’t have a lab of her own at the SGC anymore, Jack decided to try for the next best thing.

As he approached Daniel’s lab, Jack could hear voices coming from beyond the doorway, and he smiled to himself as he recognized the voices of the former SG-1. Jack walked around the corner and almost did a double take at the déjà vu and overall familiarity of finding the rest of his team sitting all together.

It felt only natural for him to say, by way of an entrance: “Whatcha doin'?” They all turned to look at him. Carter smiled. Oh yeah. Déjà vu. Jack distractedly noticed that she had showered and changed. Without the dirt on her face, she looked even more tired, but her eyes still sparkled with…something. He saw her perk up a little as he glanced her way, her gaze suddenly intently focused on him. It made Jack’s skin tingle.

“We were merely reminiscing O’Neill,” Teal’c said.

“We were waiting for you, actually,” Daniel added. “We were planning on getting something to eat before Teal’c heads out.”

Jack exchanged a quick glance with Carter. He'd been hoping to resume his conversation with her – or at the very least get a moment alone with her so that they could make actual plans to have the conversation in the near future. He hated to postpone it once more, but seeing Teal'c's and Daniel's eager expression, Jack gave in. Besides, it had been a while since all of them had socialized (since the weekend at the cabin, actually) and Jack had missed them. Not that he would admit that out loud. “Okay, I guess I could eat.”

They ended up getting desert in the commissary. They companionably caught up on what they’d all been doing over the last few weeks, joking around and teasing each other like they were prone to do. Carter told them about her diagnosis: one of the knee ligaments was strained, but with ice and rest, she should be back on her two feet in a couple of weeks, maybe three. Teal’c told them of the slow progress the new Jaffa leadership had made regarding their self-government, and the various disagreements that he had to contend with. Jack jokingly offered to help, and he exchanged an amused look with Daniel at Teal’c’s hurried, but polite, refusal. Daniel then told them a little about the arrival of the dozens of wounded from Atlantis on base, and how chaotic that had been in the beginning. Jack had been aware of the situation, of course, but he listened somberly as Daniel recounted some of the horror stories that the Atlantis expedition had brought back of the recent Wraith attack. Luckily, Jack’s decision to send reinforcement and the Daedalus had apparently saved the day. For most of the expedition anyway. The stories had not deterred Daniel though, and he was still hoping to get a spot on the next Daedalus trip.

Daniel suddenly yawned, and set a chain reaction with Carter going next. As if on cue, they all rose from the table and started walking towards the gateroom. They exchanged a farewell with Teal’c who was to return to Dakara immediately. Daniel decided it was too late to go home, and opted to stay on base. They said their ‘goodnights’ and ‘see-you-laters,’ and suddenly Jack and Carter were left alone in the familiar corridor.

They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, apparently each feeling as strange as the other about finding themselves alone so unexpectedly. A part of Jack was still processing everything that had happened, while the other desperately wanted to kiss her again, regardless of where exactly they were standing. It was an inner battle he was all too familiar with, but it was harder to resist this time. Because now he knew that she would kiss him back.

She shook herself out of it first.

“Are you on your way to your house, then?” she asked.

“Yeah. Hank’s letting me take one of the cars, after he made me promise I’d be back by 0900 tomorrow. He says he’ll arrange for our transportation then. Hey, you’re welcome to crash at my place, too, if you’d like,” Jack suggested as an afterthought, and to his surprise she looked pleased by his offer, and seemed to truly consider it – even though her gaze was resolutely turned to her foot as she did so. Was she blushing?

“I have a spare room, you know,” Jack added when he saw her embarrassment. The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable or seem too forward. He wanted things to unfold on their own time. Although he had to say, seeing the formidable Samantha Carter blush did make his heart beat a tad faster.

She chuckled, a little nervously. “I know. It’s very tempting, thank you, I-”

“No sweat!” he cut her off, anticipating her refusal, but then she frowned a little.

“Oh, I was going to say yes, but if you’re taking back the offer, then I can-”

“What? No! No, of course you’re welcome! I um-” Jack cleared his throat to mask his surprise. “I should probably warn you: the place is kind of a mess right now. And I don’t have any food – or most of my furniture for that matter, but at least you’ll be able to catch up on some sleep in an actual bed, since those I haven’t moved yet.”

She smiled gratefully. “I have to admit, that sounds really nice.”

“Alright then, let’s go.”

“And then maybe we can finish our conversation,” she suggested as they started moving and Jack looked at her in wonder, again surprised by her straightforwardness. They had tip-toed around their relationship for so long, abiding by Carter’s demand that they ‘leave it in the room,’ that it always surprised him when she brought it up without the usual layers of subtlety.

“Yes. That would be nice.”

They made their way out of the mountain mostly in silence – though Jack spent it trying to curb the myriad emotions, doubts, and hopes that swirled around in his head. But he forced himself to abide by his own counsel: to just take it one step at a time. There was no use in dreading or anticipating anything. But this was _Carter_ , and he was so afraid he was going to screw up in some way, it actually made him nervous – and he wasn’t usually the nervous type.

They decided to stop at a 24h pharmacy on the way for toothbrushes and other personal hygiene stuff, as well as some breakfast foods and coffee for the morning.

It was around 1 am by the time they finally made it to his dark house. Even though Jack hadn’t lived there for a couple of months now, it still felt like home, and he was happy to return. In fact, the only reason he leased it out instead of selling it was because he planned on coming back here after he retired.

While his keys were still in his duffel bag back at Area 51, there was a spare key hidden in the back – he left it there for the person in charge of the showings – so Jack led Carter around, then let them both in. He turned on a couple of lights, then turned to face her.

“Well, here we are,” he said, hoping his tone didn't betray his nervousness, and she gave a soft, albeit tired, smile. She wandered in and looked around while Jack busied himself with putting away the few groceries and items they'd gotten.

"Your house looks like my place in Nevada."

Jack looked around at the scattered cardboard boxes and covered pieces of furniture that he had yet to move. He frowned, a little amusedly. "Carter, how long has it been since you moved, again?"

She gave a guilty smile and a shrug. "I don't spend that much time there!" She raised a challenging eyebrow. "What does your place in D.C. look like?"

Jack opened his mouth to retort, but exhaled instead. "I see your point," he conceded, enjoying the banter. She was right though, his house in D.C. probably looked very much like her place: half moved in, not quite unpacked.

"When are you planning on moving the rest of it?”

Jack shrugged. “Whenever I feel like it. It’s not like I’m in a big hurry to get a new tenant in here.”

“Right.”

They fell silent and Jack leaned back against the counter, putting his hands into his pockets, as they stood facing each other. Despite her physical exhaustion, her eyes sparkled with amusement and something akin to determination, and Jack desperately wanted to kiss her again, but something still held him back; an old habit of self-restraint, maybe, or the all-too-familiar specter of unintended consequences. Kissing her out of relief and fear on the planet was one thing, but it was altogether different to do it again in the light of day — metaphorically speaking. Standing here, in his kitchen, it was suddenly much harder to let go of the walls he had spent years building around his feelings for her, and he wasn't sure how to take that first step that would take them across the line they'd been so careful not to cross. Besides, he'd honestly had no agenda in suggesting she crash at his place, except maybe to make sure that they did talk; if and when they made love (because that's what it would be with Carter), Jack wanted it to be on their own time, and not when they were both basically ready to drop from exhaustion.

So they just stood there for a long moment, gazing at each other, the tension increasing as silence stretched between them. Jack tried to come up with something to say, something that would lighten the mood, but his mind had gone blank.

She suddenly made a face. “Sorry, I know we have tons to talk about – but right now I can’t even think straight I’m so exhausted.” Her speech was slightly slurred with her fatigue, which only added weight to her statement.

Jack smiled reassuringly. “Yeah, I know. There’s no rush, though, we’ll talk in the morning,” he suggested. “Come on, I’ll show you to the guest room,” he coaxed her before leading her through the house. She was trailing behind him, so it made it easier for Jack to avoid looking at her and banging his head trying to interpret her expression at Jack’s insistence that she use the guestroom.

While she went to use the bathroom, Jack made her bed with the sheets he’d pulled out of a cardboard box, and made sure she had everything she needed, including a t-shirt and sweat pants to sleep in if she needed them. Realizing that she'd forgotten to take some of the ice for her knee — she'd mentioned applying some over night — Jack padded back down to the kitchen area and prepared a bag of ice for her.

It took him a while to find everything he needed in the boxes, though. So by the time Jack made it back to the guest room, the light was still on but Carter was already lying on the bed, still fully clothed, and fast asleep on top of the covers. She looked as though she had literally _fallen_ asleep on top of the bed. Jack had to grin at the picture she made.

Resisting the temptation to just lie down next to her – would she object, he wondered? – he approached stealthily so as not to disturb her. Grabbing an extra blanket from the closet, he gently tucked her in, taking the opportunity to push aside a lock of golden hair away from her forehead before he straightened.

He turned off the light as he quietly left the room.

ooooOoooo

Despite the fact that Samantha Carter was sleeping in the room next door — which under different circumstances would have been enough to cause Jack to lose a few hours of sleep — that night Jack fell asleep pretty much as soon as his head hit the pillow. When he next woke it was 7:35 am, and a part of him felt a slight disappointment at not finding Sam sleeping next to him. Not that he had expected her to join him or anything, but hey, can't blame a guy for fantasizing.

That’s when he realized he could smell coffee in the air and he smiled to himself. How long had it been since he’d woken to someone making coffee? Too long. Kerry had been a late sleeper and Jack usually got up before her. Shaking the memory away and feeling slightly guilty for letting another woman intrude on his thoughts, Jack rose and took care of his morning routine before making his way to the main area of the house. The coffee maker was still on in the kitchen, but Carter was nowhere in sight. As he went to grab himself a cup, he looked out the window and spotted her sitting outside on the patio steps, taking in the morning sun as she held her coffee cup with both hands.

“Hey, hope I’m not intruding,” Jack greeted as he slid the door open.

She looked back with a smile, squinting a little against the brightness of the sky. “No! Of course not!” she said as she gestured for him to sit next to her on the step.

“Sleep okay?” Jack asked as he settled down, close enough that their shoulders touched.

“Yes, thank you. Hey, sorry for dozing off on you last night, I didn't mean to fall asleep so quickly. I definitely slept better than I would have on base, though, so thanks for letting me crash here.”

“You’re welcome. Obviously you needed the rest.”

They fell silent for a bit, and Jack took another sip of coffee while his mind processed the strangeness of her presence in such peculiar, almost intimate, circumstances. At the same time, though, there was something that felt very _right_ about her being here with him like this; it felt almost soothing, natural, even. Jack had also noticed that she had not used the dreaded ‘s’ word when addressing him ever since they’d gotten back from the planet. They were definitely making progress, and maybe letting go of "the line" would not be as hard as he anticipated once they knew where they stood.

“So,” she started, her voice soft but her tone serious.

“So…” Jack repeated.

“How do you feel about having that talk now?”

For a second he considered postponing the discussion, maybe saying something about not having had enough coffee yet, but seeing her expectant expression and her wide, uncertain eyes, he exhaled. “Sure.”

They were silent again, as if neither of them knew where to start. Jack, at least, had no clue, even though he'd been the one to suggest they have that conversation in the first place.

“Why didn’t it work with Agent Johnson?” She asked softly after a moment.

Jack blew out his cheeks as he shifted a little. “Not pulling any punches, this morning, are you?”

She gave a shrug, her gaze steadfast and still as expectant, as if saying ‘it’s as good a place to start as any’. Jack could see dread in her expression too, and he marveled at her courage for asking, when bringing up Kerry _had_ to be rather unpleasant for her.

“Ah, there were several reasons. But, honestly, it was mostly because of you.”

“Me?” How could she still sound surprised about this? Jack was amazed at how efficiently she had been able to persuade herself that he had moved on.

Jack nodded. “I guess she figured out that she was second choice. I should have been more honest, but, I was trying to move on. Of course I failed, and Kerry noticed.” He paused. “Why did you end things with Pete?”

She frowned at the memory, but then sighed. After a beat she nudged his shoulder with hers. “Ditto.”

Jack snorted. What a pair they made! "Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Why didn’t you?”

Jack sighed again. “Carter, the ball has always been in your court – I never would have made the first move unless I was absolutely certain that, one, I wouldn’t be endangering your career, and two, that it was really what you wanted.”

“As I recall you made the first move yesterday,” she teased.

God, was that only yesterday? Jack gave a small shrug. "I guess I was pretty sure about the first thing: that we weren’t breaking any regulations. At least none that we wouldn’t be able to live with.”

“And the second thing?”

Jack gave her a lopsided grin as he turned his face towards her, bringing their heads a little closer as he did so. “I guess I took a chance with that one.”

“I’m glad you did.”

Gazing into her eyes, Jack quickly got lost in their sparkle and the soft, inviting curve of her lips so close to his own. And that right there, the invitation in her expression, was all the nudge he needed. Holding her gaze to make sure that this was still what she wanted, he leaned in slowly and kissed her softly and unhurriedly, just appreciating the moment without any thoughts as to where it may lead. She took up his slow pace readily, and he felt her smile against his lips as they explored each other affectionately, lovingly, even. A wave of tenderness, joy and desire swelled in his chest, and he put his arm around her shoulder to bring her a little closer. He pulled back after a while and touched her cheek with his knuckles as he leaned back.

She was still smiling when she pulled back, but then her expression changed, turning into a frown. Jack had seen her do that the previous day as well, when he’d mentioned feeling feelings. This time he wasn’t going to let it go. “What?” he pressed.

She shook her head. “It's silly, I just… I guess I just feel kinda stupid.”

Jack frowned in utter confusion. Carter, stupid? “Why?”

“For believing that I could move on, that I could let you go.”

Jack sighed. In fact he felt the exact same thing, but it seemed wrong that _she_ should feel that way. “Hey, I never blamed you for that. I _wanted_ you to move on. It was hard to watch it happen, I’m not gonna lie, but I didn’t want you to have to wait to get the life you wanted. The life you deserve.”

“I know,” she smiled, a little sadly.

"That's partly why I took the Pentagon promotion, you know," Jack went on. "I figured, it would give us an opening if I wasn't your CO anymore."

Her eyes widened, as if the notion still surprised her, before she closed her eyes and shook her head. "And I…got so convinced that you were making it work with Kerry, that I was blind to what you were really doing." She sighed. "I was so surprised by your decision to leave," she confessed. "The only thing that seemed to explain it was if Kerry had talked you into it, or maybe you were trying to get a fresh start away from me and the memories. When the Area 51 offer came around, it seemed a perfect opportunity for me to do the same."

Jack shook his head, struck with how similar their reasoning had been, however misguided. If only they had been able to clear things out sooner, it would have saved them both a lot of heartache.

“Well, let’s not dwell,” he retorted, hoping to turn her smile into a happier one. It worked.

"So where does that leave us now?" she asked after a while.

Jack sighed. "I'm gonna retire in a couple of years..." he said while he silently pleaded her not to take him up on that.

"You want to wait until you retire?" She asked, her tone dubious.

"Just so we're clear: no. I don't. I just thought I'd throw that out there, in case that's what you wanted."

"It's not."

"Okay." Jack nodded as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his thighs. "But until I do retire, we're going to be living in different states. Not only different states, but different parts of the country. That's not exactly an ideal situation… You're okay with that?"

She stayed silent as she considered this. "To be honest, I don't know. I mean it's better than the alternative, but… I've never been in a long-distance relationship before. And you know what they say… 'out of sight, out of mind'."

Jack took her hand and she quickly interlaced their fingers. "They also say 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder', don't they?"

She gave a small smile. "I guess."

"Besides," Jack continued, " _I_ already know that distance is not going to change the way I feel. It never has."

She let out a quick breath at this, then raised their joined hands to her cheek and leaned against them as she turned her head in his direction. Her eyes glistened with moisture and Jack kicked himself. He hadn't meant to upset her.

"Hey, I'll do what it takes to make it work, Sam."

She nodded, but Jack recognized the lingering fear in her eyes, the instinct to shield herself from potential pain. He didn't blame her, this was a pretty scary step for them. He knew full well that, for a long time she had believed herself safe around him because he was unattainable; but all of a sudden all of her emotional walls and excuses didn't hold up anymore. That would shake anyone up.

"We don’t have to jump into anything, if you need more time," Jack reassured.

"It's not that I don't-" she halted with a frustrated sigh, as if she couldn't quite find the right words, before she tried again. "It's not that I don't feel the same, I just... Holy Hannah, I want this _so much_ it actually hurts, but I just need some time to adjust, you know? To accept that this is really, truly happening. I’m not backing away, I just need a little time.”

"I get it. Really, I do. There’s no rush."

She gazed at him with newfound wonder and Jack had to look away, uncomfortable with such open admiration. He straightened as he took another sip of coffee. “So you going back to Nevada later today, then?” Jack asked to change the subject.

She cleared her throat as she nodded. “Yeah, I’m hoping to convince General Landry that getting Thor to do the transportation is the easiest, most economical way to send me back to Area 51.”

Jack gave a half-smile. “Clever. Maybe I’ll get on his case too – I could use an Asgard ride to the cabin. Talk about traveling in style.”

She smiled, but Jack could still sense the heaviness of their earlier topic hang over them.

“Didn’t you leave your things behind at Area 51, though?” she asked.

Jack nodded. “My uniform. And the rest of what I was gonna take to the cabin.”

“You're not going to come to the base to get it?”

Jack smiled inwardly at the slightly wistful, almost shy, tone. “I have a better idea,” he replied, finding sudden inspiration. This would give her some time to make her decision, but also give her an unequivocal opening.

“What’s that?”

“I’m gonna be at the cabin all week – you’re gonna take a few days of sick leave," he added, consciously making it sound like an order as he gave her a pointed look. "Why don’t you join me up there? Whenever you’re ready. You can bring my stuff then.”

Jack couldn’t quite decipher her earnest expression as she studied him, taking in his words. She’d said ‘no’ to his invitations to the cabin so often that Jack braced himself for yet another refusal. He had no idea what she was thinking, but just in case she thought this was too much too fast, he quickly went on in order to set her mind at ease: “You can stay for however long you like – I mean if you want to stay for a couple of hours, or a whole day, or more…It’s up to you.”

She held his gaze for a long moment. "Thank you, Jack." She leaned in again, this time pulling his head towards her with her hand so that she could kiss the corner of his mouth. Then she rested her forehead against his temple, her nose brushing against his cheek.

“Carter,” Jack started teasingly, once again uncomfortable with the heavy emotions that emanated from her, “did you just accept my invitation to go fishing?”

She pulled back with a raspy chuckle and Jack was happy to see his efforts to lighten the mood rewarded again. “Wait – you said the _cabin_ , you didn’t say anything about _fishing_ ,” she retorted.

“I thought you liked fishing! You seemed to enjoy it last time.”

She grinned. “Well, I think it’s all on the company. And I liked the company I had last time.”

“Good.”

"I was talking about Daniel and Teal'c, of course." She paused. "I guess you're not so bad either," she added as she nudged his shoulder with hers.

"Is that how it's gonna be now? You making merciless fun of me?"

"You betcha. It's a package deal."

Jack grinned as he stood and pulled her to her feet, feigning giving her comment serious consideration. "Hmm. You drive a hard bargain. But, I think can live with that."

"Good."

At that moment her stomach rumbled and Jack grinned.

"Come on, let's get you some breakfast before we head back to the base."

"Yes si….Jack."

Jack smirked. Okay, so maybe there were some things that would be harder to let go than others…

 

ooooOoooo

 

_Those three words_   
_Are said too much_   
_They're not enough_

_If I lay here_   
_If I just lay here_   
_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

_Forget what we're told_   
_Before we get too old_   
_Show me a garden that's bursting into life_

~Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol


	12. Closer

Jack needed a distraction.

It had been three days since he and Carter had separated aboard Thor's ship – he going to Minnesota, and she going back to Nevada – and he hadn't heard from her since.

Strangely, they had parted with the bitter-sweetness of older days – both standing, facing each other as they shared a long, eloquent look. But Jack had been adamant about not pressuring her. In the end she had been the one to speak up. “I’ll see you soon,” she had said with a smile and a gaze filled with promise, before they had both beamed down to their respective destination. Jack had been satisfied with this softly spoken pledge, knowing that they were past the turning point and that whatever happened they would work it out.

But now it had been three days, and he had yet to hear from her. Jack was starting to think that the whole thing had been a figment of his imagination. However he knew he couldn’t have dreamt such amazing details. So his mind kept coming up with scenarios that would explain why he hadn’t heard from her yet, each more unlikely than the next: something had happened back at Area 51; her CO, the head of the base, had denied her request for some sick leave; Thor had zapped her up because his world needed saving again; unknown evil aliens had abducted her to study her brains; and the worst of all: she had simply changed her mind. This last one was terrifying.

Hence the need for a distraction.

During the day it was easier to keep his mind off her, what with the fishing and maintenance work around the cabin. But when darkness came…That's when he started thinking too much and had to fight the urge to give her a call. He had been honest when he told her that she should be the one calling the shots, and that he'd wait for her for as long as she needed, but the actual _waiting_ was harder than he'd anticipated. He found he wasn't very good at it.

As he sat outside by the fire ring, the flames creating a little bubble of warmth and light in the darkness of the evening, he fished his phone out of his pocket. Taking a sip from his beer, he pressed the buttons until he got to the email thing that Cunningham had insisted Jack learn how to use. Jack hated the thing, but he had to admit, right now it provided him with something to distract himself with. He'd try the included game of solitaire next.

Jack battled with the phone for a while just trying to make the emails work. But at last he was able to make it work, and he did a double-take when he saw he had an email from Cunningham. Curious, Jack opened it as he took another sip of his beer.

" _General,_

_I know you hate taking your work with you, and I apologize for sending this while you're on vacation. I don't even know if you're back from Colorado yet – chances are you'll actually only see this on Monday when you come back to work. Which will be kind of awkward, I guess. Hopefully you won't find that saying the following in an email is cowardly of me, but I didn't want to risk disturbing you with a phone call._

_I've been thinking a lot about what you said. About my work, and my future. I still feel that I didn't conduct myself in a way that befits the trust you appear to have in my abilities, but I've decided I'd like another chance to prove myself. If the offer still stands. In any case, I'll want to talk to you about the training and selection process for Stargate Command. I hope I don't offend you when I say that I've come to consider you more as a mentor than an employer, and I would appreciate your continued support in the future, whatever happens._

_I truly appreciate the opportunity you have given me, sir, and I sincerely hope that I can live up to your expectations._

_Lieutenant Tyler Cunningham_

_P.S. Do I need to book your return flight?"_

Jack reread the message a couple of times, more touched than he cared to admit by the lieutenant's words. He was glad Cunningham was considering the SGC. While it was true that the young man hadn't necessarily outshone himself while off-world, he had followed orders and had kept his wits about him, even in a situation of danger. And with a little bit of training and experience, Jack had no doubt that the young man could be an asset to the SGC in the future.

"Wow that must be some deep thinking you're doing, I don't think I've ever been able to walk up on you before."

Jack jumped to his feet at the sound of the voice and spun around to face its owner: Samantha Carter was standing a few feet away, grinning teasingly. All Jack could do was gape at her. It was dark, but her silhouette was illuminated by the flames, turning her golden hair into fire and her blue eyes into dark, unfathomable pools. He vaguely noticed that she wasn't using her crutches, and that she carried his duffle bag in one hand, and another bag in the other.

"Jack?" she asked eventually, her expression turning into one of concern at his continued silence.

"You came!" was all Jack could manage, as he dumbly stood there, rooted to the ground in surprise at finding her there. He'd waited and dreaded a change of mind for so long that he had trouble believing that she was actually _here_. And by the look of her bag, she intended to stay for a while… Jack felt his pulse accelerate.

"Of course I came! I sent you an email with my travel information, didn't you get it?"

"Uh," Jack muttered as he stared stupidly at his phone before shaking his head. "I guess not. But you know, signal isn't great around here…" he lied. What was it about everybody using email over phone calls, all of a sudden?

Her expression turned appalled. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry about that! You must have thought-" she stopped herself, shaking her head. Jack finally snapped out of his surprise and started making his way towards her. "I wanted to come sooner," Sam explained as she watched him approach with widening eyes, "but I had a few things to take care of at work. Donna decided to go…"

Her words died on her lips as Jack finally reached her and he pulled her to him, his lips quickly descending on hers. He kissed her hungrily, circling his arms around her and pulling her close against his body. She sighed against his mouth before returning his kiss with equal passion, changing the angle of her face to get better access. Jack threaded his fingers into her hair as he deepened the kiss, and she snaked her arms around his torso, bringing him even closer. Jack barely noticed the thud when she dropped the bags she'd been holding. She readily took up his hungry pace and their mouths clashed and caressed for what felt like a short eternity. Jack almost lost it when she moaned, but instead forced himself to pull back.

Both breathing heavily, Jack gazed into her eyes, losing himself in the sparkle of desire that seemed to darken them.

"I thought you’d changed your mind," Jack breathed at last.

She frowned. "That never even crossed my mind," she reassured. "I just got delayed at work. I couldn't wait to get here. I almost called for Thor again, but decided it would be pushing the connection a little too far," she added with a grin.

Jack found himself grinning as well as he held her close, and she made no move to pull back.

"I think you'll get a kick out of the reason why I got delayed, though," she continued mysteriously.

Now curious in spite of himself (he'd rather liked where their kisses had been going), Jack stepped back a little, letting his hands slide down her arms until he could squeeze her fingers. "Oh?"

"You got another one of those?" she asked as she gestured with her chin to the beer bottle Jack had left on his chair armrest.

"You know I do. Are you hungry? I have some leftover pasta from dinner."

She smiled gratefully. "That'd be great, actually."

She followed him into the cabin's small kitchen area, where Jack prompted her to finish the story as he got a beer from the fridge and twisted the cap off before handing it to her. She took it gratefully.

"When I got back to Area 51," she started as Jack put the leftover plate he'd saved into the microwave, "I found that Hammond had granted a request from the head of Area 51 – have you ever met General Clarke? – for undertaking a coordinated research project with the SGC on the devices. I guess I should use the term Daniel coined for them: landgates. Anyway, Clarke requested that we return the landgate we'd been studying to P58 X70, and asked that I be the one returning to the planet to head the project after my knee is fully healed."

Jack frowned at this, but she went on after taking a sip. "As fascinating as it sounds, I - well, let’s jus say I _delegated_. I followed your advice."

"You're sending Donna Hayes?" Jack guessed.

"It's not like I'm sending her out of spite, or anything. She was actually very happy when I offered her to take charge. And when you think about it, it makes more sense that she should go, since she has the ability to turn on the gates, and I don't. That way they'll be able to figure out why you couldn't turn it on from the planet, and test Daniel's hypothesis that they are in fact some kinds of teleportation devices."

Jack got her plate from the microwave and they made their way to the table.

"Obviously Donna won't be going alone," she continued excitedly as she settled, "she'll have SG-11 and a few extra people for protection. She's very excited about the whole thing, actually. So I had to make sure that everything was ready before I left."

Jack smiled as Sam started eating the spaghetti with more gusto than the meal probably warranted. She was happy – the emotion actually radiated from her – and Jack couldn't tear his gaze away, marveling at the thought that he may very well be the cause for it. The uncertainty and fear he had seen in her eyes when they had last talked had completely vanished, and was now replaced by elation and joy. The transformation was breathtaking.

"So it sounds like your relationship with Donna has improved, then? I thought it might."

She nodded. "Yes. I mean I doubt we'll ever be best friends, but at least now I think we both know where we stand. Her attitude appears to have changed too. So yeah, I'd say things are looking up."

"That's great, Sam. Hey, how was Chan with all of this?"

She snorted a little. "He was very apologetic about the whole thing – even though none of what happened was his fault. And while he's a great scientist, I wouldn't send him off-world for the world. Let's just say I'm more confident about Donna's abilities when it comes to being off-world."

Jack nodded in agreement. "I don't think I got a chance to tell you this, but she actually _was_ really helpful when we were trying to make our way back to the Stargate."

"Good."

"So was Chan disappointed that he didn’t make the cut for this off-world research project?"

"I don't think so. I think he's happy where he is. He'll be more comfortable working with me on the hyperdrive with the Asgard. He pretty much told me so himself."

"That’s good, I guess. And I’m assuming there’s a plan about those creatures?" Jack asked curiously, not quite able to resist making sure that the plan was sound, even though it was really out of his purview. "They're not particularly easy to deal with."

"I know. I made sure that they had all the intel they could get. I think the powers that be have a vested interest in them as well, considering how difficult it was to kill them. I only hope they're not going to do anything cruel to them."

Jack smiled a little – said the woman who had almost been eaten by the things, _twice_. "You said SG-11's going, right? Then don't worry, Major Morelli's a big softy at heart."

She grinned at Jack's description of the tough-looking leader of SG-11, then they fell silent for a bit as she finished her meal and Jack sipped his beer quietly, taking the opportunity to just watch her. He could tell that it made her a little self-conscious, but Jack happily noted that she didn't seem to mind. For Jack, though, it was a rare treat to be able to look at her – really look at her, without the need to hide it.

When she was done she sat back in her chair. It was her turn to study him as he rose to take her plate to the sink.

"What had you so engrossed when I surprised you back there?" She asked after a moment.

"Oh, just…this," Jack said as he got his phone out of his pocket again and gave it to her. She looked at him curiously as she turned it on, before redirecting her eyes to the small screen.

Her lips curved into a smile as she read the email Lieutenant Cunningham had sent him, before she returned the phone to him.

"What do you make of it?" She asked.

Jack smirked as he retook his seat across from her. "Trying to decide if he's sucking up to me."

"I don't think he is."

Jack sighed. "No, I don't think he is, either."

"So he's taking your advice, then."

"Or at least considering it."

"What is it about him that makes you so confident?" She asked softly, curiously. "I was really surprised when he showed up on the planet and realized you'd brought him with you. As I recall you're not reputed for going easy on potential recruits."

Jack shrugged. He knew why, of course, but had yet to voice it to anyone, let alone himself. "Like I said, I guess. He reminds me of-"

"Daniel and me," she finished for him. She leaned over the table, resting her forearms on the surface. "Someone else, too, maybe?" she pressed softly, her voice and tone gentle.

God, how easily she had read right through him! The fact that she brought it up first didn't make it easier for him to say the words, though, and he winced.

She leaned back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude or-"

Jack grabbed her hand, but he couldn't quite hold her gaze. "No, you're right." Jack cleared his throat. "You're right. He does remind me of Charlie, or at least, of how I imagined he would have turned up." The wry sense of humor, the confidence that would have turned into cockiness were it not for the military training- all the way to the light brown hair and the height and build so similar to Jack’s when he was that age.

When Jack glanced up at her she was nodding, her eyes wide and compassionate.

Jack let go of her hand and occupied his fingers by fiddling with his phone as he considered how to phrase some of the concerns that came with this realization. "Do you think- Is it possible that this colored my judgment about him? About his potential?"

She shook her head, smiling softly. "No. We all saw it – me, Daniel, Teal'c. Even Landry, I think, though he didn't say it."

Jack nodded, his hands still playing with the smartphone, flipping it over and over between his fingers. "Good."

After a few moments of silence, she reached out to touch his wrist, stopping his fingers from giving the phone another flip.

"Let's go sit outside by the fire," she suggested as if that was the most exiting thing in the world and Jack smiled at her enthusiastic tone – and her ability to lighten the mood with just one, bright smile.

They rose to their feet, and when he noticed that she was still limping a little, Jack slid his arm around her, much like he'd done on the planet, and she threw him a grateful smile.

"What happened to your crutches?"

She gave a small shrug. "I figured I wouldn't need them while I'm here. I have you, don't I?"

Jack’s lips twisted into a slow smile. "For as long as you'll have me, Sam. For as long as you'll have me."

She twisted in his arms and pulled him to her for a passionate kiss that quickly grew heated.

Needless to say they didn't end up making it outside until the next morning.

ooooOooo

 _We've been circling for time baby_  
_We're coming down to land tonight_  
_The wait is over and now it's easy_  
_Everything's fine_  
  
_The closer you get, the better I feel_  
_The closer you are, the more I see_  
_Why everyone says that I look happier_  
_When you're around, the better I feel_

_~ Closer ~ Dido_


	13. Epilogue

_A couple of weeks later_

The sound of Sam's heels echoed loudly as she made her way through the once familiar corridors of the Pentagon. It was strange to be back here – she hadn't set foot in this building for years now, and the visitor's pass on her uniform jacket was a tangible sign of what she already felt inside: that she had long moved on from this place. Nevertheless, her visit was a happy one, and she greeted officers with the warranted nod or salute, trying to appear calm and determined, while inside she was a bubble of eager anticipation.

She had spent the last ten days aboard Prometheus, working on testing out the new hyperdrive. Then the uplink got jammed with a long-range plotting program being transmitted by the Asgard and- well. Let's just say that after the radio silence and chaos of the last few days, she was very much looking forward to the few days' leave she had ahead. Especially considering whom she was going to spend them with.

She stifled the grin that threatened to appear on her face – it would not do to be found stupidly smiling to herself, especially not here. But remembering the long weekend they'd spent at the cabin together almost two weeks ago, it was hard to control her features into a neutral expression, one that didn't show the almost overwhelming happiness that seemed to want to ripple through to the surface. And her eagerness to see the man responsible for the emotions.

To think that she had believed _for months_ that Jack had moved on with Kerry Johnson! She still felt incredibly stupid about that, but she truly had been completely and utterly convinced. And since Jack had pretty much kept the relationship secret, there was no one Sam could have talked to, no one to tell her that she was wrong – aside from Jack himself. And at the time, her fight or flight instinct had definitely leaned towards the latter; so she had kept herself as busy as possible so as not to confront him – or her feelings. In retrospect it had been cowardly of her, she realized that now, but it had seemed to make sense at the time. She’d wanted him to be happy, and he had been so understanding about her own relationship with Pete that Sam had done her best to return the sentiment and wish him all the best. If anyone deserved some happiness, it was him.

For a while she’d thought she had succeeded in pushing him to the back of her mind, and move on with her life: she had her work, she had her team, she had a new house, she had a new life. However when the chance came to enlist his help to activate the device, Sam had quickly realized that all she had really done was run away from her feelings, from him. No matter how hard she had tried, she could and had never truly let him go. Even though it had been kind of selfish impulse, she had jumped on the occasion to see him again, promising herself to do her best not to come in the way of what he had with Kerry. So she had tried her best to keep her distance, and focus on what they had to do.

In all honesty, a part of her had felt guilty for taking him away from his vacation with Kerry, but the worst of it, though, and what had made Sam feel _really_ guilty, was the brief triumph she had felt at the fact that Jack hadn’t even hesitated before choosing to help her over his vacation time. At the time (still operating under a misguided assumption), a part of her had reveled in that small victory, and the ensuing guilt at feeling such petty jealousy had gnawed at her, tainting in various shades of green the happy feeling she’d had of spending time with him again as they fell into their off-world routines.

That is, until he revealed to her that she had gotten it all wrong. Sam smiled again as she recalled the next events – how he had come back for her, and just in time too. She would never forget the determination in his eyes and tight jaw, his gaze locking with hers as he steadily bridged the gap that had separated them. The intensity of his expression at that moment was engraved into Sam’s memory forever.

And then he had kissed her. Hungrily, desperately. It was a kiss brought on by a dangerous mix of intense relief and years of careful restraint. Sam hadn’t seen his actions coming, but her surprise had quickly been transformed into exultation.

And yet, once they’d gotten back to Earth, it had taken Sam some time to truly accept what was happening – or rather accept that it _was_ , actually, happening. Meanwhile, fear and uncertainty had found a way to intrude on her feelings amidst her elation and excitement. While she had absolutely no doubt when it came to the depth of her feelings for him, this _knowing_ (knowing that he was the love of her life, knowing that the time of circling each other was over, knowing that there would be no going back), also meant that there was so much more at stake. It wasn’t just her heart she was taking a gamble for: it was her soul, her entire being. And without the regs to give her a place to take refuge and shield herself from potential pain, Sam had rarely felt more vulnerable. The fact that they would embark on a long-distance relationship (Sam had never known _anybody_ in all of her acquaintances who’d had a successful, steady long-distance relationship), had only added to her fears. Luckily for her, with a thoughtfulness that she still found surprising, he had seemed to understand and had given her the time she needed to get over her fears. _No pressure_. And that, right there – his patience and immovable dedication – was where she had drawn strength to make _them_ happen.

Joining him at the cabin had been a huge step for her, though, so admittedly, Sam had been a little nervous at first. Oh she had meant what she told him: the thought of not going had never even crossed her mind, and she had been absolutely determined to take that step. But that didn't mean that she had not second-guessed every piece of clothing that she put into her bag, or that she didn't blush furiously when her coworkers had told her to enjoy her leave.

But all of Sam’s uncertainties had disappeared as soon as she had showed up at the cabin. He had looked so astonished to find her there that Sam’s heart had almost burst with love and need for this wonderful, complex man who – despite his cynical façade – felt things more deeply than anyone she’d ever known.

That first night they spent together had been incredible: intense, electrifying. If Sam had thought they had a connection before, she now realized that it was nothing compared to the connection they felt in the most intimate of embraces. Surprisingly, he had been the one slowing them down when things got too heated too fast, and the resulting sensations had only been intensified by his unhurried, but steadfastly passionate seduction. Over the following days and nights they had continued their exploration of each other: sometimes playful, sometimes ardent and fierce, sometimes slow and tender – but always loving. All things considered, it was rather a good thing that they had never crossed the line while they still worked together, because Sam had absolutely no doubt she could never go back to the way things had been before, with the restraint, bittersweetness and longing.

This very long history of 'unsaids' between them could not be washed away, however, and while they appeared to be in a kind of honeymoon phase at the moment, Sam was determined that in time they would address any past issue that could potentially come between them. The biggest one of them was no doubt their differences in rank. He had been her commanding officer for a very long time – and while he was used to having 'Carter' around, the dutiful soldier who asked 'how high' when he told her to jump, 'Sam' tended not to be as complying when being told what to do and was much more likely to ask ‘why’.

However these thoughts were for the future, not the now, and Sam found herself smiling again as she followed the signs for the suite of offices that housed Jack's.

They had talked only once while she'd been aboard Prometheus and she had missed him. It was scary how quickly Sam had gotten used to falling asleep and waking next to him – considering that she had lived without it for a decade. When they had talked, they had agreed that as soon as Sam got to D.C., she would grab a rental car and pick him up from work so they could spend the weekend together. In fact, that was their strategy for the time being: until Jack retired, they would take turn traveling, sometimes meeting in the middle (Colorado was actually a nice middle ground), so that they could spend their weekends or leave together. It wasn't ideal, but Sam was confident that they could make it work.

At last she reached the Homeworld Security suite of offices and made her way towards Jack's. When she reached the room number he'd told her to look for, she peeked inside the suite and found Lieutenant Cunningham sitting at the front desk, twirling a pen through his fingers as he read a document.

He looked up when she knocked, and grinned before rising to his feet.

"Colonel Carter," he greeted with a genuine smile and a salute.

Sam returned both, then walked up to his desk. Her eyes inevitably shifted to the closed door behind Cunningham's shoulder before retuning her attention to the young officer. "Lieutenant, great to see you again. How have you been?"

"Great, thanks for asking. How about you? The knee…?"

"As good as new. Hey, I heard you're officially starting the training for the SGC soon, congratulations. You must be excited."

"Yes, that I am. A little nervous, too, though if I'm honest."

Sam shooed him off with her hand. "No need for that Tyler, you'll be fine."

"Can I ask you something, Colonel?"

Sam nodded curiously. “Yes, of course.”

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but why did you leave the SGC? I mean, everybody keeps telling me that it's the thrill of a lifetime, and I know it's true because I was there. So why would anyone choose to leave…?"

Sam nodded, now understanding what he was asking. She walked until she stood next to his chair, and leaned back against the edge of his desk. "You're right. It _is_ the thrill of a lifetime. But I left for… personal reasons," she added with a quick glance at O'Neill's shut office door.

His eyes widened in understanding, and he nodded quickly. "Oh yes, of course."

"It wasn't only that," Sam was quick to stop his mind from conjuring her leaving the SGC as some grand romantic gesture. It hadn't been like that. And while, yes, Jack was one of the main reasons why she kept turning down Cam Mitchell's entreaties that she return to SG-1, it wasn't really why she had left in the first place. "Things have been changing a lot at the SGC, lately," she went on. "I think I was due for a change, too."

He nodded in understanding, and Sam watched him as she went on. "The Stargate is exciting, and wonderful, and mysterious, yes. But it's also dangerous, Ty. No one who has worked at the SGC the last ten years has been left unscathed. We've all lost good friends, and many of us had to make heart-wrenching sacrifices for the greater cause. The price of our curiosity and insistence that we should be ‘out there’ can be really steep sometimes. Make sure you remember that."

His expression serious, he nodded slowly, as if he was processing her words of caution. "Would you do it all over again, if you had the choice?"

"Oh heck, yeah! In a heartbeat. I didn't say a little bit of danger can’t be fun, sometimes!" she grinned as she patted his shoulder and pushed herself from the desk. "Is the general ready to see me?"

"Oh yes, of course. He was on the phone with General Landry a moment ago, but," Ty glanced at his phone, "looks like he's done. And he's been expecting you."

"Thanks."

Sam adjusted her uniform jacket and raised her hand to knock. Before she had a chance to do that, however, the door was flung open from the other side, and Jack appeared, oblivious to her presence with his head slightly bowed as he looked at a file between his hands.

"Cunnin-" His head snapped up when he noticed someone was standing in his way. "Carter!"

“General,” Sam returned with exaggerated formality, amused at his surprise. His lips quirked up into a delighted half-smile before he turned his attention back to Cunningham, who had risen to his feet. "You take that," Jack said as he shoved the file into the lieutenant's hands, then grabbed Sam by the shoulders and led her back to his office.

"Wait, General, what do you want me to-"

Jack closed the door with his foot and Sam gave him an exasperated look. "You could have at least let him finish his-"

Jack's lips were on hers and Sam instinctively melted against him – God how she'd missed him! She had longed for this for the last 10 days, and she couldn't get enough. However, the coarse surface of his dress blues sent little flashing red lights in her head reminding her that kissing – no matter how delightful the sensation – in his office probably wasn't a good idea. So she pulled back after a moment, and found herself gazing into intense brown eyes.

"Hello, Samantha," he said, his intimate tone sending chills down her spine.

"Hello, Jack," she replied in the same voice before she stepped a little further back, though he still had his arms around her.

"Welcome back to solid ground,” he said in a more typical tone.

"Thanks, I love it up there, but I have to admit. It's good to be here."

His gaze intensified, and recognizing the fire in them, Sam forced herself to look away. "Are you ready to go?”

His lips curled in a smile as he stepped back and disentangled himself. "Oh yeah. Let me just grab a couple of files." Sam watched with some amusement as he went through the chaotic piles of file folders on his desk, apparently not finding what he was looking for. Sending her a quick, almost embarrassed glance, he walked back to the door and opened it.

"Cunningham, where are the fi-"

Sam grinned as she realized that the lieutenant had been ready for it, and was calmly standing with a couple of file folders in his hands. The young man bit back a smile as Jack yanked them away from him. "Thanks." What would Jack do when Ty left, Sam wondered? One thing for sure, she was not looking forward to his petulant complaining about whomever they would replace Ty with.

"You bet, sir."

Coming back into his office, Jack put the file folders into his briefcase before grabbing his keys from the desk. "Alright, let's go!"

"You’re not taking work with you, are you?" Sam asked, putting on the best poker face she could muster.

That gave him pause. "Well, I figured you were going to? In all the time I've known you, I don't think I've _ever_ seen you leave the base without at least your laptop…"

Sam gave her best grin. "You’re right, I was just messing with you! I did bring work – I still need to go through the diagnostic data from Prometheus."

Jack looked triumphant before he shook his head, though his lips quirked up a little as he walked to her. "Evil."

Sam gave a happy shrug. "Told you it was part of the package."

"Hmm, yes, you did. I hope that doesn't mean you'll be working _all_ weekend, though, right?"

Sam grinned, thoroughly enjoying their flirtatious banter. "Oh no. I need to catch up on some sleep. And, you know, stuff."

He gave a rakish grin. "Good."

Seeing that he was all set to go, Sam led them out into the front office. Cunningham was still sitting at his desk.

"Don't you have a home to go to, Lieutenant?" Jack asked, though Sam recognized his humor in the sarcastic tone. She had been at the end of it many, many times.

Sam grinned as she turned to the lieutenant. "What he really means is that he hopes you have a great weekend."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"See you later, Lieutenant," Sam threw over her shoulder as Jack's hand pressed against her back to push her forward.

"Thanks!" She heard Cunningham reply, followed by a small chuckle.

ooooOoooo

Later that evening, they sat companionably on Jack’s couch after satisfying their hunger (for both food and each other). He sat with his feet propped up on the coffee table as he read through some files, a beer bottle in his hand, while Sam nursed a glass of wine as she sat sideways with her back against the other armrest and her legs extending over his lap, her computer on her lap. She was trying to focus on the data that the computer program had recorded from the hyperdrive, but it was hard to concentrate when Jack’s fingers occasionally traced over her ankle and calf. The worst thing was that she was pretty sure he wasn’t aware that he was doing it.

Jack suddenly looked up from the file. "Hey, I’ve been meaning to tell you this but I got distracted earlier,” he said with a look that made Sam blush with the reminder of just _how_ exactly he had been distracted. “Have you heard what happened to Daniel today?" he went on, barely able to contain his amusement.

Sam looked up from her computer screen. "No, what?"

"Remember that woman – the one who hijacked Prometheus a while back?"

Sam nodded. "Vala."

"Right. Well, it turns out she just showed up at the SGC, and basically handcuffed Daniel to herself with some weird alien devices."

Sam frowned, concerned. Although the fact that Jack was apparently trying to hide how much this situation amused him reassured her that this wasn’t too serious, she still felt bad for Daniel. From what she could remember from Daniel's description, Vala had been… eccentric, to say the least. "Oh boy."

Jack's smirk shone through at last. "Oh yeah."

"Wait, wasn't he scheduled to leave for Atlantis soon?"

"Oh yeah!"

"Oh, Daniel must be so pissed," Sam smiled at last, amused by the situation a little despite herself.

"I'd say so. That means that for now at least he's not going anywhere," Jack finished, with a small sigh.

Sam tilted her head as she studied him. "You sound relieved."

"What?" He denied, but Sam had seen the guilty look that had crossed his face just then.

"You can say it, you know. I was sad to see him go, too."

His fingers touched her ankle again before he took a sip from his beer. "Alright, fine. Maybe I am, a little. It's just, now that we know about the Wraith in Pegasus…"

Sam smiled softly. "Right. It's easier, knowing that he's safe here."

"I mean, not that he can't take care of himself…"

"Of course he can," Sam agreed in the same tone. "This is just you showing some friendly concern."

"Exactly. I just don't want anything to happen to him."

"Especially when you’re not there to watch his back," she finished, weighing her words as she cut to what she believed was at the heart of the matter. His gaze snapped to hers as he realized that Sam had made him admit to these feelings without him actually having to. He studied her with a look that seemed to wonder how come she'd been able to read his mind.

"You don’t trust Weir and the others?” Sam asked, pressing the issue a little. “You know better than anyone that they’re all extremely capable. Otherwise you wouldn’t have sent them to another galaxy.”

“No, I know that. It’s not about them so much as it’s about Daniel. He does seem to attract trouble.”

Sam grinned a little. “That he does.” However, Sam knew full well that Jack’s relief actually said more about Jack himself and the responsibility he still felt over the members of his old team, but apparently Jack wasn’t ready to admit quite that much yet, so she gave up trying. “Seriously, though, is he going to be okay? With what happened with Vala, I mean?"

Jack nodded. "I think so. If anybody can deal with her, it's him."

"Okay."

"Have you heard from Donna's team?" he asked, changing the subject. Apparently he’d given up trying to finish reading his report, so Sam put her laptop away and moved to sit directly next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I have, actually. They're calling the mission the 'Telluris Portulae Project', from the name Daniel deciphered on the symbols. For now they've focused their attention on the structure, but Donna thinks that Daniel was right and that the devices are actually the ground-version of the Stargates. She thinks there are actually more than two on the planet, but they haven't been able to verify that yet. They were able to activate them again, though, and Donna is still trying to figure out why turning it on from the planet didn’t work when you tried. I think she was a little frustrated at first, because it took SG-11 a while to figure out how to scare off the creatures. But after a few days they realized that emitting electromagnetic pulses through a perimeter actually repels them, so they haven’t had any trouble with them so far. Donna seems pretty excited: the next step is to actually step through one of the devices."

"Hmm. You know, in some ways I kind of owe her."

"Donna? How?"

"Well, if it weren't for her and her-"

"Rash-"

"-actions, we probably wouldn't be here together like this. You wouldn't have zapped me up from my office. We wouldn't have been sent to that planet. I wouldn't have realized that all this time you thought I was still with Kerry and therefore rectified your highly erroneous misconception. And I wouldn't have kissed you after leaving you behind. That was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do. Leaving you behind I mean. Kissing you was – well not necessarily 'easy' given our history, but definitely easier. And much more enjoyable."

Sam smiled at his words, but then shook her head. "I hated making you leave without me, but I would do it again. It was the right thing to do."

"I know. Doesn't make it easier, though."

"No." They were silent for a moment as they both thought about the events of the last few weeks. "I think you give Donna too much credit, where we're concerned, though."

"You think?"

"Yeah. The circumstances did bring us together again, but nobody forced us to face our feelings. _We_ did that. It would have been easy to just maintain status quo."

Jack smiled. "Okay, I'll buy that. It sounds like Donna has really gotten into this research project, though?"

Sam smiled. "I think so. She still seemed very excited about the whole thing."

"And what about you?" he asked with his lips close to her ear, suddenly sounding more serious.

"Me?"

"You still happy with your decision not to go back to the SGC when Mitchell asked you?"

Sam's smile softened as she realized that he needed reassurance and she tilted her head so she could gaze into his eyes. "I’m not saying that I wouldn’t go back eventually, but for now… I'm the happiest I've been in a very long time."

"Really?" he asked, sounding actually dubious that this was the truth.

"Really."

His lips curved into an almost shy smile. "Good."

"And what about _you_?"

He considered it for a while, his gaze boring into hers. In the end, he nodded. "What you said. Because of this," he added as gestured between the two of them. Then he tapped his heart with his fingers. "Because you're in here. Always."

Understanding what he was really saying, Sam smiled. "I love you too.”

His eyes sparkled at her admission, and she kissed him. Because she could.

 

**The end**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go, folks! I'm always trying to improve my writing, so constructive criticism and comments are welcome! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!


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